GARCÍA PIMIENTA: "ON SUNDAY WE ARE GOING TO GIVE EVERTHING TO MAKE THE FANS PROIUD"

Xavi García Pimienta spoke at the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's match against Rayo. He began by saying it's time to bounce back after the two defeats before the international break: “We did things well, but that mistake we made cost us. You think you have many days to work, but many players were away with their national team and that speaks of the potential of the squad. Players have been coming back bit by bit over the last two or three days. There are no excuses. We are going to play a competitive team on Sunday in front of our fans. We are going to give everything to make them proud, after what happened in the last home game. There is still a long way to go, we then play again at home, but the most important game is always the next one." 

On players, he was asked about Saúl's progress: “He is doing well, he is progressing well. Today he took part in the session. Until yesterday he was only partially fit. He has another week to go and all being well he should be available against Osasuna. He also spoke about Nianzou's injury: “I feel especially bad for him. I did not know him before joining. He is a knowledgeable, well-mannered, competitive and skilled player. He does everything he can to improve. He has had injuries in recent months, especially yesterday, but you have seen his potential. Now he is going through a bad moment, we are going to help him and I know his mental strength. Two days ago he was here saying he was confident and he has earned that day by day. For whatever reason he has had the misfortune of having a few muscular injuries and we are going to work to correct it. He is going to overcome this and he is going to be a very important player." 

About Sunday's opponent, he recognizes Rayo's good form: “For me, it's not a surprise because I've been watching them all season. They are solid, aggressive and direct. They control possession and are a well-drilled team. Their defeat against Las Palmas was not deserved from their performance. For me, they played much better and that shows their potential. If we are not alert and 100% in what we are doing, they can cause us many problems. They are doing very well and have one point more than us with a game in hand. They have only lost twice since September, and even in defeat against Barcelona they made it very difficult for them." On the options for wingers and the possibility of Iheanacho playing there against, the said "We have Lukebakio, Jesús, Suso. Isra has got a shoulder injury. Iheanacho played there in the last match and did well despite it not being his natural position. We can use Peque or Barco. We can adapt to play differently depending on who plays. We are not going to make excuses and whoever plays will contribute." 

"We are going to play a compettive team in front of our fans" 

Returning to Nianzou: “I've been in football for many years. There is no explanation. Nowadays we can measure things like GPS. In the case of Tanguy, he was coming off the back of an injury. He didn't go on international and we measured him progressively. He was perfect, he did all the tasks and in one random moment he got injured. There is no explanation. We know that we have to be careful with players coming back from injury and I would say it's bad luck because everything was under control." 

After a special week for Navas: “We are helping him, accompanying him in these last months of his career. He is making an effort with his hip, he trains whenever he can, he couldn't be more professional and we want this end of his career to be in style. I will be able to say that I have trained him, I have had a great impression on a personal level and in every stadium he gets a standing ovation. He deserves the best, the poor guy never stops with so many interviews and it is a pleasure to have him and help him in this process." 

To finish he spoke about academy players Nico Guillén and Alexis Ciria: “Nico was already with us in pre-season and we know him better. He has talent and can be a great player. Ciria also has a special talent. The way he moves is different. He is bold. He doesn't care if he has a first-team player or a youth player in front of him. He's got a special kind of self-confidence. He is very young, he has to continue his journey but we are always looking at him."