Javier Aguirre was on pre-match media duties ahead of our trip to Villarreal. Find out what he boss had to say below:
On the team: Today they were still fatigued, but I think that will be gone by tomorrow, as it is a short flight and they will rest well. We will be physically fit. It will not be an excuse. The physios and the doctor are doing a good job, but yes, it was a very intense trip and match in Tenerife.
On who is fit: Muriqi is not ready to play. He's not 100%, but I'm going to take him. He's missing a little bit. He already did all the work with the group, but it's still hard for him. Jaume [Costa] and Martin [Valjent], yes. They are both ready to play. I'll see if they start or not.
On Cyle Larin: He looks looser and more cheerful, right? He's taken some pressure off, I think. I think people expect that from him. Not only the goals, but you see him improving his game, fighting, fighting? That's what I told him: ‘Larin, goals are not important. It matters that you are seen to be alive in the game’. Now he looks good.
On the team: I have 24 players and I will take one out. I don't know if it will be Muriqi or another one.
On the Copa del Rey: I am very focused on the league. The rest, at this stage, let's see what the draw has in store for us. But I'm very focused on the league because we need points, because we lost in Madrid, because we couldn't beat Celta. We didn't start the year well. We are not in a comfortable position. The Cop del Rey is very good and I hope the draw goes well, but at the moment I'm worried about tomorrow's opponent, it's true that they have players down, that they concede goals, but it's also true that they have impressive individual talent. I have a lot of respect for Marcelino. He has left his mark wherever he has played. It will be a match that will demand a lot from us.
On Cufré: He's not staying in the team's dynamic. He hasn't played a game since September, I think. The boy is getting ready, but for the moment I'm not counting on him. I have told him so. That's why I'm making it public.
On Maffeo: For me and for him he would have continued playing, but the doctor got scared, he scared us and they operated on him. He would have played for sure. With pain and painkillers. Pablo has a good character.
On Villarreal: I don't know what is happening because I am not inside. From the outside, they have been punished a lot by injuries. It's not easy to make decisions regarding the coach. They are streaks. We had 10 games without a win. Cádiz, Almería.... These are very strange things that have happened this year. It's a league in which it's very difficult to win and Villarreal is in this dynamic. I hope my team continues in this dynamic. I think we are doing well and we are improving our game. I think we are defending very similar to last year. We are scoring fewer goals than what the expectation says we should be scoring. That is our deficit and that is what we are working on. We have more goals than last year, but we are not being as accurate. Last year we had two goals and scored one. This year we get six and score one or none.
On the schedule: I like so many games in a row because the players prefer to play rather than train and they are more focused and involved. It's a very healthy group and I'm delighted with them.
On rumours of Sergi Darder's possible departure: It's the first information I have. I swear. I didn't know anything. I will ask Toni Amor, who is involved in everything. The subject did not come up.
On the transfer window: I don't like to get involved in transfers. I did tell the club that we need two players for this market because of Maffeo.
On the right wing: I don't have any specialists in that position. I have a kid from the reserve team, Yuzún Ley, who is doing quite well, but I wouldn't dare to start him. Llabrés, Antonio [Sánchez] and Amath can also play. There is also a remote one, which is Jaume Costa. If he hadn't been injured in the last three games, I would start him. Now I wouldn't dare to start him.
On Iván Cuéllar: He has a knee that's a little bit banged up from so many falls over so many years. He made a gesture a couple of weeks ago and it got inflamed, but Quevedo is going and I think that next week Cuellar will be ready.
On the absentees: Maffeo, Cuellar and Gio.
