Gracia: "It is going to be a very demanding match and we are trying to prepare ourselves to win"

A day out from Valencia CF's home game against Atletico Madrid, coach Javi Gracia looked ahead to the LaLiga contest in his pre-match press conference.

Facing the game with confidence

"Over the course of the season I think that every team has a player out or somebody absent. I don't think that this will take anything away from the game, and I hope that we will provide a good show."

Respect for Atletico Madrid

"I have a very high opinion of Diego Simeone. What he is doing deserves a lot of credit, as they are always competing at a very high level. Tomorrow we will face a very different team to last year, with many variants in attack that make them more dominating, give them more possession and allow them to play for longer in the opposition half. They also maintain defensive strength, as shown by the fact that they have only conceded two goals. It is going to be a very demanding match and we are trying to prepare ourselves to have a chance to beat Atletico Madrid."

Consistency over 90 minutes

"They've only conceded twice, so it's very difficult to score against them. Creating chances against a team who defend like they do is tough. That is an even greater motivation for us to try to start the game better. We're not always going to have those opportunities to turn around a game after suffering an early setback."

The objective

"We are working with the same objective as always, which is to win the next game. Any other idea wouldn't help us as a team. You don't stop being ambitious by thinking short-term and doing your best to win the next game. I think it's the best way to grow and have more of a chance to be high up the table at the end of the season."

Toni Lato

"Lato is very prepared. He shows this every day. I am very calm about the possibility of him playing. Besides the fact that we have lost important players who are internationals for their countries, I am calm about the level of players that we will have tomorrow."

Maxi Gómez' recovery

"He has trained around the problems we have had over these past two days. Yesterday he did individualised training. He has trained normally with the rest of the team and felt good, so he will be available. We have Diakhaby, Cillessen, Gayà and Cheryshev out. The rest are all available."

Happy with Gonçalo Guedes

"Gonçalo Guedes is a player with whom I am happy. I have always been pleased with him, regardless of the minutes I've played. I am demanding with everyone and I try to choose the team that gives the best balance and chances of achieving a good result. If he plays tomorrow, it won't be because other players are out; it's going to be on his own merits and because he can play in different positions. He is a clear option for tomorrow's game."

Confidence in Manu Vallejo

"Manu has participated much more as a substitute than as a starter. Last week I said that I was very happy with him and that my confidence in him was increasing. After the last game I have even more reason to be pleased. He plays with great intensity every minute. He is a good player and can play as a starter or as a substitute."

Correia's growth

"Thierry is a player who has played many games. He will play again and when he does I will be calm, because he is constantly growing. He is giving good performances and is a player with whom I am also happy."