AC Milan are confident of climbing the Serie A table into a Champions League berth, Brazil star Kaka' said ahead of Sunday's visit to Udinese.
''We're sure we can do it, especially now we're out of the Italian Cup,'' Kaka' said after the European champions were knocked out by Catania on Wednesday night.
''Without that on our plate too we'll be able to spare energy and prepare our league comeback better,'' he said.
Kaka' said he was ''happy'' to be playing with fellow Brazilians Ronaldo and Pato, the 18-year-old newcomer who has sparked 'Patomania' in the press here after Milan's 5-2 win over Napoli last Sunday.
But, like coach Carlo Ancelotti, Kaka' stressed that ''the real phenomenon'' was still the original one, the 31-year-old two-time World Cup winner.
''He's so great with the ball and always makes a difference,'' Kaka' said.
As for Pato, he said: ''All strikers dream of scoring on their debut and Pato did that. Let's hope he continues like that and fits in with Milan's play''.
Milan will be looking to stop in-form Udinese strikers Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella as they seek to lift themselves out of 12th place.
With three games in hand to be played from next Wednesday against Atalanta, Reggina and Livorno, Milan could be feeling a lot better about themselves come February 20.
Coach Ancelotti agreed that it was better to be out of the ''bothersome'' Italian Cup, adding ''nine points would see us just two short of Fiorentina, in 5th spot''.
Inter, who have a seven-point lead over second-placed Roma, host Parma Sunday night with the aim of spoiling Cristiano Lucarelli's debut for Parma on his return from Shakthar Donetsk of Ukraine.
Marco Materazzi is match-fit again and will be relishing the prospect of tangling with his former Italy teammate.
Inter also have new signing Maniche of Portugal on hand to beef up their depleted midfield.
''I'm fit so I'm ready to take the field straight away,'' said the 30-year-old ex-Porto star.
Maniche was signed from Atletico Madrid as an attacking midfielder because of a prolonged injury crisis that has seen the Italian champions deprived of Patrick Veira, Luis Figo and Dejan Stankovic.
What's more, they recently lost Oliver Dacourt, probably for the rest of the season.
Roma meanwhile host Catania with skipper Francesco Totti fresh from scoring his 200th career goal in Wednesday's Cup win over Torino.
With France's Ludovic Giuly and Brazilian Mancini also on song, the Romans can expect to at least hold on to their three-point lead over third-placed Juventus, who have a tricky home game against resurgent Sampdoria.
The Genoese side has powered up the table from 10th to 7th thanks to the newfound touch of classy ex-Italy striker Antonio Cassano, who will be looking to put one over a weakened Juventus defence on Sunday.
Juve has just lost Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini for at least a month, following injuries to France full-back Jonathan Zebina and Portugal's Jorge Andrade.
The onus will be on France's Jean Alain Boumsong to prove he can put early-season jitters behind him.
In other games, Atalanta visit Genoa with their chairman Ivan Ruggeri in a coma, underperforming Lazio travel to Napoli, and Fiorentina host Torino.
Palermo, in 6th place, host third-from-bottom Siena.
The bottom two, Reggina and Cagliari, tussle in Calabria.
