Real Oviedo Head Coach Cuco Ziganda appeared before the Press ahead of Thursday's game against Rayo Vallecano.

Ahead of the match against the Madrid-based side, the Coach highlighted that "there are players with fatigue. It's normal given how recently we played the last match. We will see which eleven we pick tomorrow, but the plan is to make changes to freshen the team up."

Regarding a possible start for Brazão in the Rayo Vallecano fixture, Ziganda reasoned that "that's one of the options we have. He's trained well all year. He's had his moments, but he's been respectful and hungry to work. Gabriel hasn't had much go his way with football this year, but he is young and he will have time to make the most of his footballing ability."

With respect to what's left of the league season and Real Oviedo's hopes for the remainder of the campaign, the Gaffer believes that "we aren't going to help anyone out. Every team is where it deserves to be, and Rayo is up there in its own right. They are finding it tough, but they are in the playoff fight. They have quality, but we are going to compete in a manner befitting the club and the competition."

Asked for his evaluation of the season, the Coach reasoned that "it would take something ridiculous and almost unimaginable for us not to stay up now. We have been consistent in a way we don't like this season, with a lot of draws. We have competed very well and we haven't given up, but we have found it very hard to win matches. We have dominated a lot of games and had chances to win, but we haven't been able to get the three points. We haven't let our heads drop, we've been tough, but we should have won those matches. We were just playing good football at the start of the year, then we started getting results while still playing well, but recently we were focusing on survival and putting the result above all else. We can hold on to the table, while keeping in mind the position we were in."

Regarding his future, Ziganda declared that "we will sit down, that's what we've talked about. We have a good working relationship and the message was that we will talk. There is no commitment from either side yet, and we have the freedom to make decisions." In addition, the Coach reiterated that "I've not discussed the future with (Director of Football, Francesc) Arnau, and nor have I received any offers from other teams. That's not my style.

We have to respect the timeframes and the only thing we have time for is keeping Real Oviedo up. What we need to do is talk and exchange ideas. The club is responsible for taking the initiative and taking the first step. After that we have to talk and see. If both sides want it, then we will reach an agreement."

Finally, asked for his sense regarding the fans, and whether he's felt their support during the season, the Coach highlighted that "the people I speak to and come across are happy. They respect our work and our way of being. We all wanted better results, but things don't often go how you want them to in life. This year has worked out this way, but it's not all negative. The team has good qualities, even if there are things to improve on. We need to cling on to the good things and take a step up, so that we don't suffer every year."