Statements of Manuel Pellegrini
(Injured) "We are still pending on accurate assessment and do not know if they will be able to do it for the weekend. More complicated is the presence of Jesus Gamez with a sprain from the previous match and we are awaiting for news".
(Team performance) "Throughout the preseason, we have prepare the squad for the league championship, not just the eleven players. We are very confident at all and the only criterion I use is the performance that is evaluated on an ongoing with the competitiveness. Winning makes us better, but also from defeats you can get out positive things. Football is always changing and what we did in the previous match cannot make us believe it is going to make us win the next one. We are always measuring the team's performance, week after week to keep the good line and try to fix the bad things".
(Zaragoza) "It's a difficult match because all teams want to secure the points in his own field, and they have shown a great spirit always, as in the last match against Betis, when losing 2-0 and 4-1, never gave up and pushed to the end. We have to do a very good match if we want to bring us the points from Zaragoza. For us it is very important to win the next match to keep the current position and still be up in the table, but I am reluctant to give a team goal, because our goal is to win every Sunday. Let us not be short but neither very optimistic thinking we are the best team in the world. We work every week to play against any rival, and at the end of season we´ll see where we are. In La Romareda we’ll go into the pitch to control the ball, to compete with Zaragoza, not give away or deliver initiative. We’ll look for the victory, without conform ourselves with the draw and trying to win. That is the spirit and attitude with which the team should go out always".
(Jugadores) "Apoño tenía primero una molestia en el muslo y ahora para que juegue él tengo que quitar a alguno, y con la competitividad y rendimiento actual, ninguno no ha hecho mérito para salir. Es algo normal que ocurre en las plantillas numerosas. La exigencia y competitividad entre los jugadores es positiva y ellos lo entienden perfectamente. Ruud es un gran profesional, aporta muchísimo en el campo aunque no esté haciendo goles: prescindir de él no es fácil. A todos los goleadores les gusta hacer gol, pero lo importante es que gane el equipo. Cualquiera de ellos me da seguridad en el funcionamiento colectivo del equipo, eso es lo que importa, y hasta el momento el rendimiento del equipo me tiene muy conforme. Por hoy estamos funcionando pero no podemos descuidarnos."