CFR hold no surprises for Ranieri's Roma

Coach Claudio Ranieri hopes AS Roma can take the confidence gained from Saturday's victory against FC Internazionale Milano into their UEFA Champions League Group E meeting with CFR 1907 Cluj when the two teams meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday. The Romanian side won here on their UEFA Champions League debut two years ago and coach Sorin Cârţu believes they can do so again despite indifferent recent form.

Claudio Ranieri, Roma coach
When you beat the team that won last season's UEFA Champions League after playing a very good match and showing you can focus for more than 90 minutes, you start to believe in your own ability. Now we don't want to stop.

CFR won in Rome just two years ago; I remember Juan Culio scored two goals and he will play tomorrow too, but they are not a surprise package now. CFR will play a 4-4-1-1 formation and look to sit back and hit us on the counterattack because they have some very fast players. They also have four players who are more than 190cm tall so we will have to pay attention from corners and free-kicks.

Sorin Cârţu, CFR Cluj coach
CFR Cluj won here two years ago and it wouldn't be stupid to think we can win again. Best regards to Francesco Totti [on his birthday today], but tomorrow we won't be giving him or AS Roma any gifts. I watched Roma's [1-0 win] against Inter and I was impressed by Jérémy Menez, Mirko Vučinić, Simone Perrotta and David Pizarro, players who can decide a match at any moment.

I can't say if [CFR's Italian players] Roberto De Zerbi, Felice Piccolo or Ferdinando Sforzini will play. I still have to decide the lineup. I have to be honest, we are not in a healthy state at the moment – but we have no fear.

Team news
• Roma
John Arne Riise played in Roma's most recent league game wearing a skull cap following a bout of concussion sustained during Norway's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier in Iceland on 3 September. Goalkeeper Júlio Sérgio is out for a month with an ankle injury.

• CFR
Gabriel Mureşan was substituted at half-time in Friday's Cluj-Napoca derby with a leg injury while Saša Bjelanović damaged an ankle in the 2-2 draw with FC Astra Ploiesti on 13 August.

Weekend results
25/09/10 Roma 1-0 FC Internazionale Milano
(Vučinić 90+1)
Vučinić's late header earned a Roma team shorn of the suspended Philippe Mexès a first win of the season. Bogdan Lobonţ marked his first start for the club by keeping the Giallorossi's second clean sheet this term.

24/09/10 FC Universitatea Cluj 1-1 CFR
(Niculescu 15; Traoré 30)
After nine league games CFR have amassed just nine points – their worst start to a campaign since returning to the top flight in 2004. CFR have lost four of their last seven league games and have not recorded an away win since a 4-2 victory at FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ on the final day of last season.

Did you know?
CFR came from behind to win 2-1 when the clubs met on Matchday 1 of the 2008/09 group stage. Christian Panucci (17) put the hosts in front but Culio's double (27, 49) earned CFR the sole victory of their debut campaign.

See the match background for more information.