Rashford Has Great Potential, and I’m Sad About Raphinha’s Injury
Regarding Raphinha and his physical condition, he said: “To be honest, I’m not satisfied with this, he’s a very important player for us, let’s see what he will have to change and what we will need to change, now the important phase of the season begins and we need everyone, when he can’t play it’s not good.”
On Ter Stegen and his injury, he continued: “I haven’t spoken to him or Deco, I learned about this news and we have to wait, we’ll see, I just learned about his injury, I haven’t spoken to him yet, I feel sorry for him, we have to wait for the test results.”
On facing Albacete and preparing for the match, he pointed out: “We always analyze the opponent, what Albacete did against Real Madrid was very good, the important thing is how we start, with the right mentality, we will need to adjust some small things, I was very happy with the team’s performance in Elche, but we missed many clear chances, we are not looking for perfection, but for progress, after the Chelsea match we progressed step by step and raised the level, the important players are at a great level, and we need to trust the team, tomorrow we must have the right mentality and win the individual battles, that’s what I want to see.”
On evaluating the winter transfer market, he added: “We are satisfied with the situation, I wasn’t happy with Drew’s departure, but I couldn’t do anything, I’m happy because if everyone is at their maximum level, it will be difficult to choose the starting lineup, we did our job well.”
On Gavi and his return, he confirmed: “We will see step by step, the most important thing for him is to stay calm and progress gradually, he has a long career ahead and wants to play for many years, it’s important to be in good physical condition, but step by step, we are taking care of him.”
On Rashford and his future, he said: “I think he has a lot to offer, we always focus on goals and the final pass because he can improve, but with his speed and technique, he can give us more than that, I’m happy with him, but he has greater potential, I want everyone to be the best version of themselves, this is about mentality, and attitude during work, that’s what we want to see, always to be better.”
Regarding the contribution of substitutes, he confirmed: “We are in great spirits, it’s not easy to get a place in this team, we have eleven starters, but five of them will complete the match and will be very important, everyone must be ready when it’s their turn to go onto the field.”
On renewing Ferran Torres’ contract: “We have great players, and the atmosphere is amazing, they are colleagues and friends, if we manage things well, the situation will be excellent, I’m very happy with all the players, but this is the club’s decision, we have to think about the future, it’s important to keep the players and study how they can help us in the future, this is Deco’s task.”
He concluded his statements by talking about Yamal and Balde, saying: “He enjoys playing football a lot, there are players who give their best, maybe I can specifically mention Balde, what he does is excellent, but he has the ability to develop, this is what we are working on, he will be a great addition to the national team, he is doing a great job.”
