Celades: "We have great morale and the intention of fighting back against this situation"

Albert Celades talked with the media after training to discuss Real Sociedad, bouncing back from a Champions League defeat and president Anil Murthy's visit to the training ground on Friday.

Facing the game against Real Sociedad

"We come into this one off a tough defeat, but with the situation that we have, after several games without a win and especially with so many injuries, we have to rebel. We need to do our best and make sure that these absences are as unnoticeable as possible. We are going to go out with the best mentality for a very difficult game against Real Sociedad."

Contending with adversity

"We've had many difficulties in terms of injuries. This isn't anything new, but the reality is what it is; we have a lot of players out injured and we haven't given any excuses. We're up against a very good side, who are having a magnificent season, with a great coach."

Squad morale heading to San Sebastián

"We have great morale and the intention of fighting back against this situation. It isn't a new situation for us and we have to adapt to perform at our best. It's also an opportunity for players who haven't participated as much to play."

Fatigue in the team

"It isn't the ideal situation, nor the situation that we would like, but it is what it is. We have players who are playing more minutes than I would have liked, but due to circumstances we believed that it was the most convenient thing for the games they've featured in. They have performed well and I value the effort put in by the players, because in very adverse situations we've performed well."

The demand for a Top Four finish

"We always talk about being at a very big club and the highest level of demand. Our intention is always to win. There is no doubt that in these situations everything is much more difficult, and the level of demand here is very high. The squad are making the required effort, albeit not with the necessary freshness. We aren't looking further ahead than taking each game as it comes, nor are we setting long-term objectives. The best way is to focus on the next game."

Reasons for injuries

"We've studied a lot of things, from the type of training to whether the training pitch is hard or soft. We don't have an exact answer, and it's an accumulation of circumstances, because the types of injuries are very different. It seems as if the situation isn't the best, but we are trying to adapt to this difficult situation."

Hugo Guillamón in the squad

"I know him from the Spain national team and I have a very good opinion of him, and that's why we've picked him. He has some very well defined characteristics, very good technique and is able to start play from the back. He has many things to improve, but so does everybody; he's a player who I think can help us, and that's why he's been picked."

Anil Murthy's visit to the training session

"These last few weeks haven't been the best, and we all agree on that. We have suffered the same amount of defeats as a few months back. I think that we need to fight back against this situation and turn it around. Nobody here is sad or depressed; it's simply that recent results haven't been the best. However, very recently we had a very good game against Atletico Madrid. We had a very good second half against a team who beat Liverpool -the best side in the world. It depends on how you look at things. Within this 'pessimism' that there sometimes seems to be, the negativity that is sometimes there, we are two points off the Champions League spots and in the Last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in many years. I think that we have to value what we've done as well, as not everything is negative. As for the presence of the president, I think that it's good that he comes here to the Ciudad Deportiva from time to time. He gives his opinion of things and transmits calm. I think that it's good that he's close to the team."