How do you give your players rest for the battles that lie ahead?
First of all I believe that this week was a very special week. Where we played Wednesday and Saturday. I honestly don’t know why because if I’m not wrong Man City doesn’t play Tuesday or Wednesday in the Champions League. I think their Champions League match is on the next week. Our game in the Europa League is on Thursday. Why did we play this game Saturday when we could play Sunday? But that’s a different question. There is no point in going in that direction. It is a special week also in that we played 120mins which was really, really difficult to play today again. I don’t think this is a situation that is going to happen many times during the season. Tomorrow is a day off for the players a first day off for quite a long time and then we have three days until the Europa League match, which I believe is going to bring the players to normal level in terms of their physicality to play the next match. Another situation is to have players back and by having players back you are able to do a little bit more of rotation when you have for example Reguilon back you have Reguilon and Ben Davies, you have Gio Lo Celso back. Gio Lo Celso gives you situations in relations to Tanguy, in relation to Hojbjerg and also solutions and some of the other guys I hope they can also come to a better level. a better level that allows them to play and when they are ready to play, when they are ready to start matches then you have more players to rotate. Of course is important to have that availability in the squad.
How was Son when he got the knock at the end?
Well he has a wound in his ankle. A wound means a stud. A stud in the ankle means a card. I don’t think a red, so the VAR can only interfere for a red. I don’t think a red, but if that’s not a yellow and the referee was 5 metres distance but it is a wound in the ankle. Hopefully nothing big.
What did you make of Bale’s performance?
I think he was ok. Of course one training session with the team no more. Of course not ready for much more than this. Positive feelings. He had a good action, could score a goal. No problems after the match. Let’s see if he can play Thursday or if not Thursday then next weekend. Players of good quality when fit can add something to the team, so if he’s fit and available welcome.
How big of a role do Dele and Gareth have to play before the end of the season if you are to achieve top four?
Good players when they are fit and ready and they can are always welcome. We coaches sometimes we can make wrong decisions, we all do. Not one of us is crazy. Not one of us says I don’t want this player to help me and the team when the player has the potential and the conditions to do it. Do they have the qualities? Yes they have and we know they have. If they are fit, ready and consider themselves physically and mentally ready, welcome because the team needs everyone. We miss Gio for a long, long time. We miss Reguilon for a few weeks. If we can have them back, if we can have Dele and Gareth fit and ready to play, it’s a big improvement in our squad.
