Real Oviedo Head Coach Cuco Ziganda, who remains in self-isolation at home after testing positive for Covid-19, today appeared before the Press online, ahead of Saturday's fixture against Cartagena.

Ziganda began the press conference by discussing his state of health, explaining that "in terms of symptoms I am fine, I am asymptomatic. It's about being patient, following the protocols, and testing negative as soon as possible. We are adapting to the situation. I am following the training sessions, in contact with the team, and staying 'close' to them. We are preparing for the match in Cartagena in the best way possible."

Following the end of the Winter transfer window, the Coach today analysed the deals done during this period. "We brought in Borja (Valle), and he is an experienced player who can play anywhere in attack. We believe that he can contribute to us. Some players who hadn't been participating have left. I thank them for their behaviour and for the respect they have shown for our footballing decisions. There are some teams who have strengthened well and a lot, such as our next opponent. It will be a constant battle for everybody. We all want to achieve our objectives." In addition, regarding the squad of players he will now have available for the remainder of the campaign, Ziganda highlighted that "I'm not upset with the size of our squad. We have the possibility to use youth-team players, so it's ideal. The thing is that now, with the protocols, we can't use people from the B team in a continuous manner. We have 22 players who are all up to the standard, and whoever plays has enough motivation to maintain their level. The squad is good, and we have no emergencies. If there had been the opportunity to sign somebody to give us something extra then we would have considered it. There are always offers, but we decided not to do anything and to stick with what we have."

Asked about set pieces, which have been one of the main issues for the team in recent matches, the Coach reasoned that "some of the main issues with set pieces are concentration, confidence, work... it's a summary of everything. They only last a few seconds and we are all partly responsible, given that we aren't dealing with them efficiently. We train in order to try to give the team a style of play. If they score goals against us like that then it's a handicap which punishes us heavily."

With respect to the possibility of changing to a system with one striker and an attacking midfielder, Ziganda believes that "we have a complete squad, with a lot of different players, and we have to adapt to the possibilities they offer us. If we look at recent matches we had clear chances to win the games. The other day was our most toothless performance. We have had chances to win with one striker and an attacking midfielder. We will have to do something, because the results haven't been coming."

Regarding Cartagena, the Gaffer stated that "we have seen their matches with the new coach. They have signed experienced players and you can see the level they can give them. They are poised and control play, and so imagine we will face a Cartagena side in need of wins and excited."

Finally, asked about the team's position in the table, Ziganda commented that "the numbers are there and we can't close our eyes to them. We have to accept the situation as it is; we haven't won for a month. I am only thinking about winning, putting in a good performance, and ending this run we are on. We are focusing on the day-to-day work, without giving up on anything. We have to be objective and realise that we are closer to the bottom of the table than the top. We have to work with the good things we have and not get obsessed, but remain conscious that we need to improve on the things that are punishing us."