Diego Martínez: “The casualties? We never make excuses “

Granada faces the game against the leader highly conditioned by casualties. Even so, Diego Martínez appeals to the “survival instinct” of its players. “We don't like excuses,” he says.

After a long time he has had a week to prepare for the game: “The accumulated charge is very high. This week without matches we have used it to recover, but it is also true that with all the tute that we carry, we have also had mishaps and in that sense we continue to row against the current ”.

How is the center of the field ?: “We have the withdrawal of Milla, Soldado, Luis Suárez and Pepe Sánchez. And Yangel and Gonalons we are going to see how long they can be. But that is our reality. It has been a very hard week, very difficult, with muscular discomfort as a result of how we have been announcing for a long time the difficulty we had this year and the need to distribute efforts. It could not be in terms of incorporations or in terms of taking advantage of the weeks to be able to get ready. But we don't like excuses and we have to sharpen our survival instinct once again. “

What game do you expect ?: “We are facing one of the greats, who also has a peculiarity that is admirable for me. It is a giant that competes against supergiants. He has been doing it for a long time and that vindictive spirit is one of the values ​​that stands out the most at Atlético de Madrid and I think it is admirable. I share that vindictive spirit of being able to compete with teams much bigger than you and also to be able to do it in time. In the first leg we were not a rival for them, we did not like any of them but they would go back to living the same way we lived at that time. Because I remember that the previous four official games we got the victory and in the next five games we got a draw and four wins. That everything bad is that. It's like the famous one that I'd rather lose one game 6-1 than six games 1-0. Although obviously we don't like any of us and we don't want that ”.

Injuries to Luis Suárez and Soldado: “I don't know, they are muscle problems. We do not know exactly the scope. Hopefully it is as little as possible because now we have exciting matches, starting tomorrow. But I cannot give an estimate. There are also players who, even if they come in the call, we have to see if they can enter tomorrow or how long they can be ”.

Most important aspects to try to defeat Atlético: “We have to be us, very effective, against the most effective team in the League. Make very few mistakes, defend with a lot of attention and then have that daring, that depth and that joy of incorporating players into shooting areas as we always have and that our forward midfield players have precision. We have to play a very complete game. Atlético is capable of playing many types of matches and that is where the passion is about facing these types of rivals who stimulate us, motivate us and who need the best of us in all facets. We need a level of outstanding or honors in everything. “

Comparison between you and the Cholo: “We are talking about a top coach with a very consolidated experience in international football. I don't think that comparison exists, each one is very different. I was referring to the fact that Atlético is admirable and the extraordinary performance that Cholo has brought out from his teams for so long. From there, the nuances have to do with the characteristics of the players. Atlético has had different versions, has managed different records and has always been very competitive with great results. And that, for so many years, is to be admired. Hopefully at some point we can access the track record that Cholo Simeone has ”.

Two very important games in five days and with many casualties: “We cannot make many evaluations that one plays here and then another plays. Our line-up tomorrow is going to be highly conditioned by our availability. We have to sharpen our survival instinct, I trust the whole team one hundred percent, we never make excuses, we never complain about adversity even if we explain the reality that we have and that we have been living all year. We are going to think solely and exclusively about tomorrow's game because in a season like this where you can do your calculations but then a positive COVID can arrive and planning blows you up. We face the most fit team in the League. Of the last nine games, they have won eight and tied one that was equaled in the last minute. This demand has to motivate us and it has to ensure that all our senses are solely and exclusively focused on tomorrow's game. For the other game we will see what happens ”.

Condition of Carlos Neva, recently renovated: “Very happy, very happy, a boy who comes from Second B, who has made his debut with us in First playing just one game in Second. It is giving us a great return. It seems that it has gone well, but to see tomorrow for how long it can be ”.

Do you understand the COVID protocol ?: “There the League decides and it is the one that has to make those decisions. We imagine that for all teams it is the same ”.

Work week: “If there is a game in the middle of the week it is logical and evident that it is not the same. What we would like to have done regarding match preparation and not only think about player recovery, we have not been able to do. We had to be very conservative and take advantage of the week to recover as much as possible. It has been a different week, yes, but nothing is going to take the load that we carry. Even so, we are going to work with the maximum we have and with the utmost confidence and mentality. If it is already difficult to beat Atlético de Madrid even with a month off, imagine this way ”.

Is Sunday Quina available ?: “Yes in terms of physical availability. As for training with the team to learn about the game model, we are the same as with Adrián Marín. In alignment applications, it can be tucked. In real football, and more so in a team like us that depends on the collective functioning, it is not easy at all. Not for the player, not for teammates, not for others. But it is available ”.