Roma head coach Claudio Ranieri hailed the quality of club captain Francesco Totti after the former Italy striker returned to action with a hat-trick in the 3-1 win at home to Bari.

The 33-year-old was making his first appearance in around seven weeks following knee problems, but Totti showed no signs of rustiness as he struck three times in the opening 28 minutes in the Stadio Olimpico.

Ranieri said after the game: "Francesco immediately proved how much we had missed him. I said it would be difficult this season without him and you could clearly see what a difference he made.

"Totti is a jewel that we must safeguard and I really didn't expect a performance like this.

"Aside from the three goals, he did absolutely nothing wrong and was always in the right place."