Mehdi Nafti: "It's a serious fixture against an in-form opponent and they'll put us to the test"

C.D. Leganés manager, Mehdi Nafti, spoke to the press this Friday ahead of the upcoming fixture in Tenerife this Sunday at 21:00 (CET) at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López. The coach wished his team the best of performances to bring back all three points from the Canary Islands.

Nafti, who confirmed the absences of Luis Perea, Róber Ibáñez, Bruno, Eraso and Naim, expressed that the team face "a serious fixture against an in-form opponent. They're powerful both going forward and on the back foot, which will test us, but I believe we're up to the challenge".

On the past month, the French-Tunisian coach said: "It's been a long and complicated month, but I'm content. Before the transfer window I already said I'd be happy with the same squad, we've made some changes for the better and it's going to give us a boost comptetitively. I hope these changes come to benefit us. From now until the end of the season I want my players to be hungry on the pitch. It's the least we can demand from ourselves and the new signings absolutely will come with that hunger".

"Hemos trabajado bien y hemos recuperado un poco la sonrisa"

The blanquiazul boss commented that "there's no team in this division that's at peace. Yes, we've worked hard, we kept a clean sheet last match and our morale's risen. We have the desire to win in Tenerife. We know everyone here now is going to be here to finish the season. There are no excuses and we have to battle with what we've got".

When questioned on academy-product Naim García's lessened involvement in this half of the season, Nafti explained that "he's had good games, but there's no reason to burn him out. He's young, he's got a great future ahead of him and you have to leave him to work. We want to look forward; he will come in and be decisive, but there's no need for him to assume all that responsibility week in and week out for the whole 90 minutes", he concluded.