Carles Gil explained in Abegondo’s press room this morning that a minor injury in his hamstrings kept him sidelined for a few days. “My intention was to train yesterday, but yesterday’s training session was very demanding and explosive, especially on the hamstrings, so we decided it was best not to take any risks, and today I trained without a problem and I had good sensations”.

He highlighted that “the best thing for the team is for everyone to be available as we’ve proved we’re all important. Fortunately, Arribas is fine and I think Sidnei will train with everyone next week: it’s good news”.

He believes that “it’s best to go on a break with a victory because you’re happier for two weeks. But we’ve had a run of good games. The points we’ve obtained this month, month and a half, have given us some breathing room. We want to continue with this streak next Sunday”.

He prefers not to calculate how many points are needed “and look at the short-term, the next match. It’s silly to set an amount of points as an objective. Obviously, we’re keeping an eye out on our direct rivals, as we should. We know we have a good distance, but in the end it’s two games, in this case three. What we want is to try and obtain the number of points or victories that distances us definitively away from the relegation zone and allows us to have a calmer final stage”.

The Deportivista forward highlighted that the team comes from “a very good streak of good sensations as well as points. Last Sunday, we know what a derby means. “It was a disputed game, very equal. In the end, the only chance they had was the decider. Now we’re off to Mestalla, it’s a complicated match. We know that if we were to gain three points it would be very important and bring us much closer to our objective”.

Asked about Gaizka Garitano, Carles Gil highlighted that “it was strange because both the team and myself had good and bad moments. We didn’t start well, and then we had a very good streak. After Christmas it was very tough. In the end, football is about results and in this case we didn’t get any when he was here. Personally, I expected to play more but at the end of the day it’s down to decisions. Coaches are there to make these decisions and we have to try and accept them. Obviously I understand Joselu, because he didn’t have a good time after he came back from a long injury. It’s logical he wanted to play more minutes, but this is football”.

He was to the point: “When you don’t play you’re disappointed. Joselu’s case was special because he arrived, we expected a lot from him, and he was unlucky to get injured. We were all excited with his comeback and maybe he didn’t have the minutes he expected or that the rest of us expected, and that’s disappointing. I don’t think it goes beyond that. At the end of the day, we all want to play. There’s no player that’s happy without playing. Therefore, his thoughts and reaction are logical”.

He defined Deportivo’s next league match against Valencia, in Mestalla (Sunday 2 April, 6:30 pm, Bein Sports), as “very special”: “It’s my home because I’ve spent 16, 17, 18 years there, since I was 5. It’s special. But it’s still a very important game for us where we’re playing for three crucial points”.

Regarding his future, Carles Gil was sincere, and acknowledged that “these last ten games are key for Deportivo, me and everyone, and many things have to happen to determine what the future holds. Then we have to talk to my Club, Aston Villa. Honestly, I don’t think about that much because first, we have to achieve our objective. I think I have to perform very well in those last 10 games, and then whatever happens, bring it on”.

However, he is attracted to the idea of continuing in Dépor: “I’ve said this many times, I’m happy here”.