Samu Castillejo looked ahead to Valencia CF's game against Athletic Club on Saturday night at Mestalla, and also spoke about what the team need to do to turn around a negative series of results.

His wrist operation

My wrist is doing well. The first month was a little uncomfortable because you use all of your limbs when you play, but I'm trying to help the team and trying to make progress after the operation, to be able to play with a little more freedom.

I had a couple of conversations with the doctor, because he wanted me to stay out for a month right after the operation -and I had the surgery on January 9th. But it's my responsibility and if I hurt myself or not, it's up to me. There is always a risk when you go onto the pitch. I wanted to be back out there as soon as possible. I was allowed to do so with protection around my hand. We have to work, we have to improve and now we all have to help.

Hard work

Giving up does not cross anyone's mind. You have to keep working and improving, and give even more if possible. We just need to stick together, both the fans and players, and push forward. We are going to get out of this because there is still a long way to go.

Reality

We have to accept where we are. The numbers are what they are, we are not going to lie. At the beginning of the season there was talk of other objectives, different ones that have nothing to do with those we have now, but we have to be realistic. We are going to suffer and we are going to work more than ever so that we can repay the support we have had from the fans at Mestalla. They are the ones who suffer the most with us and they deserve the best.

Unity

Unity is the basis of achieving your aims, or at least this objective. It is clear that when times are difficult, everything becomes tougher, but that is when the captains and the most experienced players, the veterans, are there to unite the group more and get us out of this situation.

Mindset

André Almeida, although he is a young player, looks like he has been in the Primera División for many years when he plays. That is the mentality. The first thing is to recognise where we are, look at where we have failed and see what we have to improve. It is more of a time to give and to do, rather than to talk. We have already all spoken in the locker room, we have said things to each other's faces, they way that things should be. From now on we will all push in the same direction.

Actions over words

Words are useful because we owe it to the fans to explain ourselves, but what we have talked about inside the club is that it is more time to do -and show that we want to get out of this situation.

We were inferior to very few teams in the first half of the season. We have had that feeling of fragility in many games, in which we have gone ahead and football has been unfair to us, because we have played good football, we have scored goals, we have taken the lead and we have not had much to show for it. Now isn't the time to play pretty football, short balls nor long balls; it is time to stick together and believe. Our goal is to get out of there as soon as possible and make the fans happy.

Winning

We need a victory to erase the doubts amongst ourselves. When you get into a bad dynamic, it's like when you're in a good one: You almost accidentally win games then, and getting out of a bad run is tough. We need to win, above all.

Experience
One player may have more experience than another, but it also depends on each person, their self-esteem, their love for football and for their club. We have several players who have been here for their entire lifetime.

We look each other in the eye and say that this team shouldn't be in the situation we are in, but we are. Now there are no excuses. Now is the time to run, to fight and to win any way we can.

Difficulty

I have gone through moments of difficulty, injuries, and a bit of bad luck with my hand, as since the injury happened it has been uncomfortable to play. I had a good mini-preseason. There are no excuses, and we must all move in the same direction and stick together: Fans and players.

The fans

The past is in the past. We players assume all the responsibility, as those who are on the pitch. We cannot blame results on whether people whistle or not, as in the end they express what they feel, but it is true that it is much easier with a positive atmosphere, with 40,000 people spurring you on. We need it more than ever because we are young squad, and it makes it much easier for them to play with the people on our side. We have to make Mestalla a fortress.

Preparing for Saturday
It seems like a cliche, but we have to take things game-by-game. Saturday is the first final of the 18 that we have left. We have had a very difficult monthm with many midweek games, away trips and players with a lot of discomfort. Now a new phase begins with a new goal. And it starts on Saturday at Mestalla.

There's still a long way to go, but we have to start winning now. We don't have to hide from that. There is a whole second half of the season left, in which there will be many games, and we are going to fight hard.

Equality
It seems that we are on the limit with everything we have experienced, with the departure of the coach, with other issues for the club... but really all the teams are very close together, 7 or 8 points from the European spots. We have to fight, focus on ourselves, start picking up points and not ask the fans for anything, but instead give to them, starting from Saturday.