Bordalás: "Against Real Sociedad we have to interpret the game very well from beginning to end"

Valencia CF coach José Bordalás spoke on Saturday in a press conference to preview the match against Real Sociedad (Sunday, 9pm CET).

Do you see Hugo Duro more as a forward or on the left wing?
He is someone who can play in various positions. He has done it before and with me as a coach, so I know him well. Depending on the needs posed by the opposition, or the moment, we will use him in one position or another. He is in good form, he helped us in the last game, he is confident and I am sure that he will help us continue to grow. He has a great commitment to Valencia CF.

With Hugo Guillamón suspended, is it an option to play with a trivote again?
We have several players in that position. We don't have Hugo Guillamón, who played that role in midfield, but we have alternatives with Racic and with Wass... even with Koba. We can play that way or with two players further forward; there are several alternatives and possibilities for the game against Real Sociedad.

Are you afraid that players may leave in the winter transfer market?
My mind and my energy are focused on tomorrow's game against Real Sociedad. So far, the club have not said anything about this to me, so we are calm. News comes out that is nothing to do with me, and I honestly have no worries. My concern is to have a great game tomorrow against Real Sociedad. We will continue working with the usual harmony.

What has happened to Thierry Correia?
He has had a setback. Another specialist has seen him and they are analysing what the injury itself is, and why it has taken so long. Now they have started a new treatment to see if he is improving. We trust that he will be back with us shortly, but I do not know the exact details. It is a problem with his pubis and abductor, with discomfort. They are analysing the reason for this slow improvement that he is having. We are calm, encouraging him, and we trust that with the new treatment he can be back with the team soon.

How do you face the game against Real Sociedad?
We know la Real. They are  a team that are in very good form, are the league leaders and have very good numbers. It is surprising that of the 19 goals they have scored, only 5 have been at home, but they have only conceded once at home. They are a strong team at home, they have a very balanced game, and we know what we have to improve; we have been very fragile defensively and we have to improve that. That does not mean that we are going to play with an ultra-defensive system, s we want to be a daring team that goes looking for goals, but we know that Real Sociedad have scored many goals off rapid transitions. We have to play very close together and interpret the game well from start to finish. We have had time to prepare for the game, even though many international players have joined up with us late, but we are already immersed in the competition again.

Has the international break been good for Maxi Gómez?
He is already fit to play and to help his team. A break after injury comes in handy for any player. He knows that he has to improve, grow, and help his team much more. We have talked a lot about that aspect. He looks good and he can help the team; he is one more player that we have brought back, and he will be able to participate tomorrow. He is ready to play.

Are VCF Mestalla players ready to help out?
If we need to draw on the players from the VCF Academy, some will come into the squad, it is likely. We only have two centre back at the moment: Diakhaby and Omar Alderete.