Antonio Cincotta was keen to underline the contribution of his coaching staff in the build-up to Sunday’s clash against San Marino, with the Fiorentina boss continuing to self-isolate following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

“I’m overseeing training remotely, but I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my coaching staff,” said Cincotta. “They’re doing a great job of minimising my absence and making me feel like I’m there with them. It’s all being done via video at the moment, but training is continuing at the same standard as ever.”

Cincotta admitted that the Viola are keen to get back to winning ways following the disappointment of losing to Juventus in the Italian Super Cup final last weekend.

“We want to bounce back after the Super Cup so we’ll try to focus on the league,” said Cincotta. “Unfortunately we haven’t got any of the unavailable players back, while [Claudia] Neto and [Janni] Arnth are also out. It’s a tough time because we don’t have many players to choose from, but we’re confident. We have lots of good players in our squad and everyone who’s played has proven that they’re up to the standard. We’re optimistic and will look to our young players.”

The Viola coach is expecting a tough test from San Marino,  who are in the bottom three but within touching distance of Verona in ninth.

“We mustn’t take this game lightly,” said Cincotta. “San Marino have improved and are looking for the points they need to stay in Serie A. After that we have a several games against Inter, so if we get some players back we may be able to give some others a rest. The absentees mean we can’t rotate much or make many tactical changes, so we need to be well-prepared.”

Fiorentina v San Marino kicks off at the Stadio Bozzi at 14:30 CET on Sunday.