“I think Roma played really well tonight. We knew it was going to be more difficult than last season,” he told Sky Italia television.

“They played well and honestly the fair result was probably a draw, but we held on to the win.”

Rooney scored the winner with a precise angled drive in off the inside of the upright, his first goal of the season.

“I think I just had to take it as early as I could. You could see the defender coming across, so I had to see past him and the goalkeeper to the far post.”

Rooney certainly seems to raise his game when he faces the Giallorossi, although he reiterated that it was a fortunate victory.

“I played against Roma three times now and scored three goals, so obviously I’m pleased with that. We played OK tonight as a team, but Roma did very well and as I said the fair result tonight would have been a draw, as they had a lot of good chances.”

The 1-0 loss at Old Trafford was decided by Wayne Rooney’s strike, but the Italians had several good scoring opportunities and a penalty shout for Amantino Mancini.

“It is tough and we feel rather bitter, as we played well and I think the draw was the very least we deserved,” said the World Cup winning midfielder.

“The next matches will be decisive and the fact we lost 1-0 at Old Trafford after a great performance was entirely acceptable. It just feels like a shame we were unable to get the points, especially after such a horrible result as the 4-1 to Inter on Saturday.”

It has been a worrying trend of the last few weeks that Roma waste dozens of opportunities and end up dropping points.

“We have always scored a lot of goals. It is true that we create so much that it looks as if we waste an incredible amount, but in a way that is a compliment. Soon hopefully we will have that little bit more luck.”

De Rossi’s midfield partner Alberto Aquilani was stretchered off with a suspected thigh strain during the second half.

“Aquilani feels pain, but he has to undergo the usual tests. We hope for the team and especially for him that it is nothing serious, as he has had muscular problems in the past,” explained the Italian international.

“He had a similar injury last year, so he’s been very unlucky and we hope it is not as bad as those times.”

“Perrotta is a great passer and a fantastic engine, he runs more than the connection between London and Manchester trains,” he told Sky Italia television.

“Francesco Totti is of course the general, the King of the team, but he has great players all around him.”

Ferguson had confessed before kick-off that the 7-1 result back in April was a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Wayne Rooney’s goal in off the inside of the far post secured the 1-0 victory, but the Giallorossi wasted several golden opportunities and had a penalty shout with Amantino Mancini.

“We expected a much, much closer game and I think it was predictable there would be a lot of caution from both teams in the first half.

“We improved after the break and played good football, but Roma had plenty of chances and we were fortunate at the end.”

Although Rooney admitted Roma deserved a point, Ferguson was unwilling to take anything away from his men.

“I think in the last 15 minutes they did really well, but over the whole game I believe we were the better side.”

The Giallorossi star was stretchered off during last night’s 1-0 Champions League defeat at Old Trafford and immediately medical staff feared the worst.

He has had muscular problems before and was out for six months last season, although this current setback does not appear to be quite so serious.

“The tests showed a second degree lesion to the right thigh muscle,” announced the club.

“The player will have to sit out an adequate period of rest, presumably around 30 days.”

With physiotherapy afterwards and the search for match fitness, it is likely Aquilani won’t play again for two months.

“Alberto is already doing better, as we are giving him a special kind of therapy,” explained Doctor Mario Brozzi.

“It is not the same injury as last year, but it does look like a relapse of an older problem.”

It is a bitter blow for Roma and Italy, as Aquilani had recently graduated from the Under-21 side to the senior Azzurri coached by Roberto Donadoni.

The Giallorossi already have Rodrigo Taddei, Marco Cassetti and Christian Panucci injured, while goalkeeper Alexander Doni missed the Manchester United game after he was struck by a stomach bug on Monday night.

“Roma have everything needed to win the title, but it is a long road ahead of us. We must take it slowly and one game at a time, living Sunday to Sunday,” said Il Capitano.

The Giallorossi were among the pre-season favourites after bringing in the likes of Ludovic Giuly, Juan and Cicinho.

Even Inter Coach Roberto Mancini has said they play the most entertaining football in Italy – if not Europe – but their title credentials have fallen away in recent weeks.

Roma have amassed just two points from their last three Serie A games against Juventus, Fiorentina and Inter, during which they let in eight goals.

They hope to get back on track this Sunday afternoon with Parma, although Alberto Aquilani is out for two months with a thigh strain.

“We are coming off a period where our results have not been very good, but the performances have,” added full-back Max Tonetto.

“There are incidents that go against you, but from Sunday we hope to turn them in our favour. I think that in Bernardo Corradi and Reginaldo Parma have two strikers who fit together very well in terms of physique and speed. We’ll have to be careful.”

After Panucci was left out of the squad travelling to Old Trafford for the midweek 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, the official line of ‘back pain’ was thought by some in the media to be a cover for a disagreement.

When asked about the argument, Panucci only stated: “I believe we should not wash our dirty laundry in public.”

Spalletti has a slightly different take on the old saying. “It was an inappropriate expression, because if you always keep wet laundry in the house then it goes mouldy. Now it’s out in the open and everything is dry again.”

Panucci also complained that he would miss out on an international call from Roberto Donadoni for the Euro 2008 qualifiers if he did not play this weekend.

“I make choices for the good of Roma and nobody else,” added Spalletti. “Besides, Donadoni called Gianluca Curci despite the fact he has never played with us this season.”

The Giallorossi have other problems to contend with, having picked up just two draws from their last four games between Serie A and Europe.

“It is only a negative spell in terms of results. I think we are doing very well and am convinced the squad will put even more effort in to overturn these results.

“While at the start of the season we were pushing to point out enthusiasm should not go overboard, now we are urging not to get depressed, because Roma will get results and will score goals because this is a very strong team.”

They hope to get back on track this afternoon against Parma at the Stadio Tardini.

“It is a dangerous encounter, because they are a complete squad who are going through a good period of form. For example, last week they did not deserve to lose to Udinese.”

Alexander Doni has recovered from the stomach bug that ruled him out of the Manchester United match at the last minute.

The youngster has netted for the last three consecutive rounds with a total of four goals and contributed to getting newly promoted Pisa into an incredible third place.

Newspaper ‘Il Romanista’ suggests he has done enough to earn a recall to the Stadio Olimpico, perhaps even as early as January.

Before that, he has other objectives on his mind – specifically Pierluigi Casiraghi’s refusal to call him up for the Under-21 squad.

“The Azzurri jersey is important and sooner or later it will come, but right now my Nazionale is Pisa,” assured Cerci.

“I don’t want to cause controversy, even if in the current squad for the European Championship qualifiers there are players who never see first team football.

“All I can do is carry on playing the way I am now, the rest is not up to me. I think that if I keep up this form, sooner or later the call will come. Perhaps it could have come a little earlier, mind you…”

Francesco Totti's brace put Roma back on track, but Parma had Bernardo Corradi sent off in the opening half-hour.

The Giallorossi had a blistering start to the campaign, but with two points from their last three Serie A games and a midweek 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, that seemed like a distant memory. Parma looked like the right club to end that slide, as their last three encounters had Roma with an aggregate 10-0 score. Ferdinand Coly and Ludovic Giuly were suspended, while Alberto Aquilani, Rodrigo Taddei, Marco Cassetti, Domenico Morfeo, Francesco Parravicini and Igor Budan were injured.

Philippe Mexes picked up an injury during the warm-up, so a last-minute replacement Matteo Ferrari was drafted in.

Roma broke through within the opening three minutes. Mirko Vucinic pounced on a defensive error at the by-line, dispossessing Castellini to cut back for the easiest of Francesco Totti finishes. Parma were furious as they felt the ball had gone out of play, but replays suggest it was a valid goal.

Luca Bucci parried an effort from Simone Perrotta and former Lazio defender Fernando Couto got into a scuffle with Vucinic.

Amantino Mancini made it 2-0 in their typical style. A counter-attack saw Mancini spring the offside trap on Totti's perfectly-weighted through ball and place a delicate finish past Bucci.

Parma's day went from bad to worse on 27 minutes, as Bernardo Corradi picked up his second yellow card for a handling offence, leaving the Gialloblu with 10 men for an hour. They also had penalty appeals for a Ferrari challenge on Andre Pisanu.

Roma's injury woes worsened as Simone Perrotta also went off with a fitness problem just before half-time, making way for Matteo Brighi. Totti wasted the opportunity to make it 3-0 by blazing over.

The captain also had a shot deflected off Mancini for Bucci to gather, while the defence closed down a fine David Pizarro-Vucinic duet and the former Lecce striker hit the upright when offside.

Vucinic drilled past the base of the upright and Totti blasted over when he had two teammates in a better scoring position. Substitute Cicinho's angled drive was deflected inches off target.

Bucci beat away a fierce Totti free kick, but the Roma man completed his brace late on as he held off a challenge to slot past the goalkeeper following good work from Daniele De Rossi.

Parma: Bucci; Zenoni, Paci, Couto, Castellini; Dessena (Paponi 50), Cigarini (MacDonald 73), Morrone, Pisanu; Reginaldo, Corradi

Roma: Doni; Panucci, Ferrari, Juan, Tonetto; De Rossi (Barusso 88), Pizarro; Mancini, Perrotta (Brighi 40), Vucinic (Cicinho 73); Totti

Ref: Banti

Sent off: Corradi 27 (P)

“We settled straight into the match and after the second goal relaxed into the lead,” said the Giallorossi boss after their 3-0 victory away to Parma.

“It is true we did not lock the result away immediately, but neither did we struggle. We maintained our balance and showed great character in reacting to the defeats with Inter and Manchester United. I am sure my men will be able to take the right things from this win without letting themselves get over-excited.”

The Tardini side did not see it quite the same way and were angry at the referee for dismissing Bernardo Corradi less than half an hour in.

“Certainly today the incidents that went against us were extraordinary,” commented Coach Di Carlo.

“You prepare for a game all week, then after two minutes you’re a goal behind with a debatable situation. Then we made a mistake in allowing a counter from our own corner kick.

“I am disappointed in Corradi’s red card, as his second bookable offence was very harsh. I don’t think it was intentional handball. It was always going to be tough after that.”