PAPU GÓMEZ ON ABP: "I WANTED TO BE IN LONDON, BUT IT WASN'T POSSIBLE"

Papu Gómez was in the hot seat this Tuesday for Sevilla FC Television's, A Balón Parado. The Argentinian, who was unable for a national team call up during this international break, is now in the last stages of his recovering from the injury he picked up in the derby: "On the road to recovering and it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is still one last process to go through, which is the most difficult one, to get well and try to come back well so as not to have any more problems. Maybe not everybody knows, but I have been nursing this injury for six or seven weeks and I wanted to come back within two and to make the effort to be in London against West Ham. It wasn't possible, my body gave me a telling off and asked me to take it easy. I didn't listen and we had to start from scratch." 

When discussing the team's form during the last couple of weeks, Gómez recognises that it's not good enough, not even in the changing room: "It's not good for how good we are, the squad and the aspirations we have to succeed. it's clear that the results aren't the best. On one hand the team isn't losing but on the other hand, the team isn't winning either and that leaves a sour taste". Although he prefers to take it easy, Gómez is still not throwing in the towel on the prospect of travelling to Barcelona: "The idea to just try and get there, still not ruling it out. We will see how it goes this week, but the medical staff and the coaching staff are all working together in order to get things back to their best and avoid setbacks." 

After acknowledging that the injury came at the time where Papu was arguably in his best run of form, he addressed that it's very difficult not being able to help the team out: "The frustration of being out is horrible. I have to do it because you have to remain lively around the changing room, but I don"t like it because I feel I'm an inconvenience. I know what it takes getting yourself prepared for a game, each player is in their own little world and I don't like being there."