Real Oviedo defender, Christian Fernández, appeared in the Press Room at El Requexón following the first team’s return to training.
Having learned of Joselu’s injury, which follows those suffered by Carlos Hernández and Saúl Berjón, Christian admitted that, “we’ve been hit by a lot of injuries during the first half of the season, but they can’t be an excuse. We are going to Gran Canaria to get the three points. We have the B team players available too, and it’s a good opportunity for some of them to step up.”
Regarding the importance of getting points against Las Palmas this weekend, the defender highlighted that, “what we’re longing for more than anything is consistency. We’ve got our reward these past two weeks. We hope that our run doesn’t end in Gran Canaria, and that we can get ourselves into a promotion position.”
Speaking about last weekend’s clash against Reus, Christian stated that, “we knew how difficult the match would be. We’d gone into it off the back of a week of euphoria and were facing a team in need of points and who wanted to show their ability. We had to work hard to get the victory. We managed to break them down (for the first goal) and then we looked to calm ourselves down and play. We are on the right track.”
Asked about his changing role in the defence, the captain reasoned that, “the methods are still the same. Changing your position can cause difficulties when you’re not used to the new role, but if I have to play in this position then I’ll do it as best as I can.”
Regarding his time as a player at Las Palmas and the memories he holds of his time there, the defender said that, “they are the best possible memories, because we got a promotion. It wasn’t one of my best years, but there was a reward at the end. I am grateful to the President and the fans for the way they treated me.”
Talking about Las Palmas and what he expects following their change in coach, Christian highlighted that, “the defeat the other day wasn’t part of their plans and they were hoping for something different. It was a setback and they’ll want to bounce back. They are aware that we have the same objectives as them and we are going to stand up to them. We will prepare for what we are going to face.” In addition, ahead of a possible change in formation for the match at the Estadio de Gran Canario, the captain reasoned that, “a team’s richness can be seen in its flexibility and range of formations. Maybe our adaptability will be affected this week by the injuries, but we have to work and prepare for the match in the best way possible.”
Finally, regarding the possibility of the club strengthening in the Winter transfer window, Christian believes that, “right from the start the planning included incorporating players from the B team. I think that they need to see that they have a chance of playing, if they earn it on the pitch,” he concluded.
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