LOPETEGUI: "IF THERE'S A DIFFICULT GROUND TO VISIT, IT'S IPURÚA"

29/01/2021

"Diego Carlos has trained, he has recovered and we will assess his situation"

Julen Lopetegui, Sevilla FC manager, has given his pre-match press conference on the eve of the away match against SD Eibar. After the team completed their training session, the Basque manager began by commenting on Diego Carlos and Jesús Navas: "Diego Carlos has trained today and we will assess his situation, but fortunately he has recovered and we will keep him in mind for the decisions we make. Jesús Navas will travel, as will all available players, including Papu. Tomorrow we will decide the line-up by analysing all the possible scenarios to choose the most competitive eleven to face the demands of the match".

"We're facing a very good team, not just at home. They always look to score, they know how to attack and defend, and, if there's a difficult ground to visit, it's Ipurúa. It's complex, difficult, and we'll have to play at a high standard just 64 hours after the Copa del Rey match. We'll go there with real ambition and concentration, they beat us last year and this year they did it again. We have to focus on our response, that's the aim, playing well at Ipurúa", Lopetegui continued.

"Matches in the past are in the past, whether you win or not"

The manager then stated that "the challenge is to get a win tomorrow and all three points. That's always our aim away from home. Matches in the past are in the past, whether you win or not. Eibar have different styles of play, but aside from that they have very clear characteristics and players who are well-chosen for how they play. We have to focus on our own demands. They have really taken their concepts on board and are in good form. They do things really well, and they have a good team and manager to develop the football they want to play. That makes them a strong team that always competes at the highest level".

Lopetegui was asked about Bryan Gil and Pozo, who are on loan at tomorrow's opponents: "They're two players who play a lot, they're ours but they're getting minutes for Eibar. They are growing significantly and I have no doubts that they will form part of Sevilla's future and I think that Bryan, especially, could be a real role model for Sevilla fans in the future, but I think both of them are having a very good season".

"About Papu, where he plays isn't what's important, it's how he plays, he'll adapt to many conditions"

To finish, Lopetegui spoke about the latest signing, Papu Gómez: "Papu has trained a little bit, he's only just arrived. He hasn't played competitive football for a while but we expect and hope that he can help us as soon as possible, once he's fit enough. When we decide that he'll start, we'll use him where we think he can do. It is not so much the where that matters, but the how. He'll adapt to many conditions and when his moment comes we'll assess what's best for the team. No one comes here to take places or make a new one, they come here to help. We are very happy with the assessment of the whole team".