Andrea Sottil spoke to the media on Saturday ahead of Udinese's meeting with Spezia on Sunday evening.
He began by offering some words of encouragement for Enzo Ebosse, who is currently sidelined with a cruciate ligament rupture.
“We're all really upset for Ebosse. He's a superb player and a wonderful guy who slotted in here at Udinese instantly. We hope he can recover as quickly as possible. We'll wait for him with open arms.”
Meanwhile the return to fitness of other players means the coach has more options at his disposal – increasing the team's overall performance levels.
“It's been an intense week. We've worked hard and focused on preparing for tomorrow's game as best we can. It's good to have [Nehuen] Perez and [Adam] Masina back. The more players we have available, the better it is for everyone. Competition increases the intensity and the quality of our training. They motivate each other and it's more productive. It also means I have more options to choose from in matches.
“I've said lots of times that [Roberto] Pereyra is an extraordinary player who can play anywhere and improves any team. He just needs to improve his fitness but he's not far off now.
“[Florian] Thauvin is getting back to his best condition. He's working with intensity and enthusiasm. He's a skilful player who likes to get involved in moves. He has a good shot and knows how to time his runs. He's an extra option for us both to start or during the game.”
Sottil expects Spezia's change at the helm to provide the a fillip to the side hovering just above the relegation places.
"Spezia are a very good team. They have an excellent squad, as I said the last time we played. They're struggling for points and have brought in a new coach with Serie A experience. He'll come in with positivity and new ideas. It will be a tough match because every team needs points and Spezia will be combative.
“We must make sure we play our own game and I think we've prepared well for it. We've spent the week trying to raise the bar in every area: our physicality, the intensity of our play. I'm confident we'll produce a big performance.”