Real Oviedo Head Coach Cuco Ziganda today appeared before the media from home, where he is in self-isolation after coming into contact with somebody who has tested positive for Covid-19.
Before answering the questions put to him by the media, the Coach wanted to "thank all of the people who are showing an interest in my health and that of my family. We are fine and following the protocols that the authorities have set. We are going to do the relevant medical tests and await further developments. We know that this is what we are having to live through and that we have to live with this virus, on both a personal and a professional level."
With regard to preparations for the Albacete match, Ziganda admitted that "we are well-organised, we've reacted quickly. We have the experience of March's lockdown and are holding online meetings to share passages of play. I am streaming the matches and you can see things more clearly. It's strange, but you can see that details that you perhaps can't perceive from within. We evaluate things each day and prepare for the match. We will go into the game in perfect conditions. The preparation hasn't changed."
With respect to the players he will have available for the encounter, with Tejera and Edgar back, the Coach reasoned that "they are ready to start. Edgar is slightly further behind in his preparations, but we will look at it. He's been back training for two weeks and his preparation has improved. We have Tejera back and he may participate. He's an important player and we need him. The team is fine. The odd player has a knock, but we are hoping that's nothing."
Asked about the next opponent, Albacete, Ziganda stated that "we know what this division is like: a lot of matches and runs of form. They have adjusted. You can see they are committed and clinging onto the division, with committment and good players. There have been factors which have not allowed them to earn points, but in recent matches things have gone their way and they've got points. We have all learnt to play every few days and I don't expect them to make it easy for us. It is a tough Albacete side."
Discussing the role of Gustavo Blanco Leschuk, the Gaffer highlighted that "he's an important player for the team. He has a lot of strengths, and strikers are not just about goals. He wants to score goals, but he enables us to create different types of situations, which give us other ways to develop fluent play. We count on all of them, goals are down to everybody. We have had many chances in recent matches. The team has and creates chances, which is the important thing."
Regarding the possible state of the pitch, Ziganda reasoned that "the way of going into the game and the eleven doesn't change. Whoever is in best shape will play. We will see what the pitch is like and then analyse how to react. We have to adapt."
Asked about the importance of getting three points against Albacete, the Coach believes that "we always say the same thing: the most important match is the next one. It's important to win, since we haven't been able to get a victory in the past four games. We have to be aware that we need to focus on Albacete and on ourselves. There is a long way to go and we just have to focus on what we have to do well. The team can play better or worse, but we give the feeling of knowing what we want. We all want to dream, and always think about the positives, but it's a long season and it's not easy to win the matches."
Finally, talking about the transfer window, Ziganda commented that "I've always said that we are satisfied with the squad. We had reasons to be able to organise ourselves well. If players leave and there is the possibility of someone else coming in who can improve what we have, then we have to be ambitious."
