First team

JOAQUÍN CAPARRÓS: 'VALENCIA HAVE IMPROVED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON'

29/03/2019

The coach said that they would have to wait until the last minute to be sure about Vaclík: 'We have to wait and see what the medical staff say and we will assess how he has developed in his tests'

Joaquín Caparrós attended the media this Friday ahead of Sunday's game against Valencia in Nervión after training in the Sánchez-Pizjuán. After confirming that none of the internationals returned injured, he spoke about the Vaclík situation in goals: 'We can't risk it. We trust the academy players but we will wait until the last minute to see how Vaclík is. He is undergoing some tests today but should the academy goalkeepers have to play, they are ready. You've seen them for Sevilla B: maybe Javi is playing a bit more now but they are all players with a lot of character. We will evaluate everything tomorrow and we'll decide.' Even so, he is clear in that he will not force anything: 'I don't think we should risk it; we play on Thursday and then on Sunday again. We have to wait and see what the medical staff say and we will assess how he has developed in his tests. It also depends on how the player's feeling - he has the final word.'

Caparrós then went on to evaluate the rival: 'They're in a good place - they're in three competitions and have improved throughout the season. They are familiar with Marcelino's ideas and they have quality players. If we are at our best it will be an open game and we hope it goes as we plan.' The game against Valencia would just be one more step though. 'A positive result against Valencia would be a step forward but there are still a lot of points to play for. A win tomorrow would count for nothing if we then went on a bad run. We have to play game by game - we play on Thursday and then again on Sunday.'

'It will be an open game and we hope it goes as we plan'

The manager did not reveal whether or not the team would play more offensively or if he would stick with the double pivot in midfield: 'I've had a think about it. We need to make the most of what we have - a game lasts 90 minutes and there is a strategy. You can make three substitutions and that can change the game: that's a responsibility of a manager. You tend to only look at the starting XI but we have a squad with the players to adapt to different situations.' Caparrós then went on to speak about more personal topics: 'I'm excited. You know me and you know I can disconnect quickly. I took the suit off, put the tracksuit on and I'm very focused. I'm enjoying it and I want to transmit by excitement, dedication and commitment to the players.'