Genoa - AS Roma preview - Garcia hoping Roma rise at Genoa

The biggest challenge facing Roma boss Rudi Garcia lies in motivating his crestfallen players ahead of Sunday's tricky Serie A trip to Genoa.

Knock-out Champions League football slipped away from the Giallorossi on Wednesday night as Manchester City plundered a 2-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico to snatch second spot in Group E.

Progression to the last 32 of the Europa League is scant consolation for Roma, with the bumper schedule likely to cause unwanted distraction from their bid to beat Juventus to the Italian title.

So Garcia understands how important it will be to respond immediately to the setback, starting against upwardly-mobile Genoa at the Marassi.

He told asroma.it: "If you want to play in the Champions League every year then you have to be excellent in the league. That means we have to be prepared for Genoa.

"That's what I expect from my players and I will endeavour to lift their spirits after this defeat.

"The Europa League is a valid competition and we will try to get right to the very end, but our only real aim remains winning the Scudetto."

Juve are three points better off than Roma, meaning the capital club could feasibly draw level at the top with victory at Genoa should the Bianconeri lose at home to Sampdoria.

An alternative scenario presents real concern for Garcia's men, however, as Genoa are only six points behind them in third place having won six of their last nine games.

Rossoblu coach Gian Piero Gasperini believes his side fully deserve to be in the Champions League places and is delighted he can reasonably consider the club to be safe from relegation already.

"We know that in certain games we have given some real joy to our fans with our performances," he told La Repubblica Sport following last Sunday's 1-0 home victory over AC Milan.

"This is a superb Genoa side and our league position is really unexpected, but I think we deserve every point that we've earned so far.

"It's great that we can already talk about having stayed up because we've got 26 points with four games of the first half of the season still to play.

"But we cannot set other targets just yet as there are other well-equipped teams just behind us."

Federico Balzaretti, Leandro Castan, Samir Ucan and Vasilis Torosidis are injured for Roma while vice-captain Daniele De Rossi serves a one-match suspension.

Genoa, meanwhile, are only missing the services of midfielder Rolando Mandragora, a fringe squad player who is suffering from a muscle complaint.