Pellegrini’s statements:
Internationals and Gámez
“There are still 24 hours to go and we’ll see which is the best team then. The internationals have come back in good shape, without any big news. Jesús is now fit again since last week”
Away match
“We haven’t got any obsession with away games. We’ve not had the same luck or precision as we’ve had at La Rosaleda but hopefully tomorrow in Getafe we’ll get the points. Getafe is a team that really plays, we’ve had some very close matches with them and it’s going to be a complicated game as they’ve got some good players.”
Step by step
“There are many games ahead; there’s a little bit of external obsession about Málaga’s position. We’re focusing on improving and through this consistency we’ll end up far on the table and, hopefully, in European positions, which is what we’re looking for week after week. We try and detached ourselves from the external pressure which exists due to Málaga’s high-profile project. It’s difficult to unpick games, but I’d like the Bilbao first half and the Zaragoza ending, that’s what we’re looking for.”
Individual performances
“Cazorla with Spain? The teams and the performances from one player to another are not comparable. I’m happy with Cazorla’s performance with Málaga, he makes a big difference and, in addition, the quality of the Spanish national side cannot be beaten anywhere in the world. Rather than looking at individual performances we’re working on developing a concept and we’re seeking to perfect that. This way we’ll have more power. In Málaga, they’re motivated to be called-up by their national sides and they’re called on because of what’s being done at a club level.”
Baptista and the tight league
“The eleven are clear, and tomorrow we’ll see again before the match. Joaquín went out very well in the last match and so we’ve got back an important player for us. We’ll wait another 24 hours because there are still some aches and pains, not only in the selected ones. Baptista? We’ve got to hang on for the player’s progress; he’s now out of the gym and back on the pitch. Like with Joaquín, he’s a very important player for us and we hope to have him back as soon as possible, there’s no fixed date, the best doctor is the player - he’ll know when he can kick a ball and can train 100 per cent again. I don’t like looking for excuses or these types of explanations; squads are formed to cover any absences. And if I’m not mistaken, we’ve never lost one game, either this season or last, with Julio Baptista on the pitch. The team’s campign is on the right track, the championship is very close, and the team has been in advanced positions in the majority of the 25 games played.”