Lazio go into tomorrow's match against Udinese knowing coach Delio Rossi has been offered the chance to remain at the club next season.

Speculation in Italy had linked the Biancoceleste manager with a move to Atalanta this summer.

Rossi, who has yet to extend his contract with his current deal ending in June, has expressed his wish to remain in the Italian capital.

And club president Claudio Lotito is ready to grant Rossi that wish.

"He will remain 100%," he said."Unless he wanted to leave, which would then change the situation."

The Biancoceleste go into this weekend's game on the back of two straight defeats, including a 2-0 loss at Inter Milan in the last round of matches.

The task of finishing in the top six is getting more complicated for Lazio with only four games left.

The Biancoceleste are 10th in the standings, six points behind Roma, who hold the last European qualifying spot.

Lazio did manage to beat bitter rivals Roma on April 11 and help scupper their chances of capturing a Champions League spot but most of Lazio's displays have been below par.

In fact, Rossi's team have won only two of their last seven games.

As bleak as the situation is for Rossi and co, Lazio can salvage something from 2009 if they can win the Coppa Italia.

They host the final against Sampdoria next week, knowing victory would qualify Lazio for European football next season.

Udinese's form has been impressive since being knocked out of the UEFA Cup last month.

The Friuli outfit go into this weekend's game on the back of four consecutive wins and look to have left behind their poor form that had seen them plummet in the standings.

Udinese midfielder Gokhan Inler said: "We endured a difficult time where we only took three points in 11 games but that seems to be in the distant past.

"We have won four games in a row and we are going to Rome with the intention of taking a win."

Udinese, who won 3-0 against Atalanta last weekend, are one place and one point above Lazio in the table.

Pasquale Marino's side had hoped for European football next year but face a challenge as they must cut the five-point gap to sixth-placed Roma.

"We shouldn't think about what the other clubs that precede us in the standings will do in their games," said Inler.

"We just have to focus on our game, take home three points and make sure we take as many points as we can in our four games remaining.

"Our aim is to end the season in the same way we started the campaign."

Inler will be hoping to meet a distracted Lazio.

"Lazio will be thinking of next week's Coppa Italia final and they will be eager to win that title," he said.

"We must go out on the pitch focused from the start and making sure we impose our play from the beginning."

Lazio will be without suspended midfielder Cristian Ledesma.