In a week marked by the passage of the virus through the UD Las Palmas squad, confirming the positives of Óscar Clemente, Rober González and Jonathan Silva, Pepe Mel faces the appointment against CD Leganés with seven confirmed casualties, at the expense of the result of the relevant PCR test to which Edu Espiau has been subjected due to being close contact with the Brazilian side, and will have to look for the best possible solutions, having note that “We only have Araujo upstairs and with the hope that he will be level as long as possible “.
On a positive note, in the face of such a low, confirmed the return of Pejiño after more than two and a half months off, although “the ankle is not completely well, but he will have to help us before the losses of Rober and Oscar “.
How the garter break has sat
“At first you think it is good for you because Loiodice, Cardona and Pejiño were injured and thus you are shortening recovery times, what happens is that after seeing what has happened with COVID-19, the truth is that it has been the other way around Because if we had played this game a week ago, we will surely not have Edu Espiau or Rober or Oscar or Jonathan. In the end you have the four injured plus the four due to the virus as a drop, at the expense of the test What do we have to do to Espiau. So it has been bad for us. “
Pejiño’s return
“He is training, but with a lot of discomfort. His ankle is not completely well, although he will have to help us in the face of Rober and Oscar losses. My idea is that he is among the 23 summoned against Leganés.”
The case of Pietro Iemmelo
“The player wants to leave and the boy has had a magnificent personal behavior. I have no problem with him, but he wants to play and we understand that leaving UD Las Palmas may be a good solution for him. The rest, as I understand it, Luis Helguera will have a press conference soon and will talk about everything. Today everything is the same as when we went on vacation. “
Casualties due to Covid-19
“I always instill positivity and seek the solution. It can happen to all of us and it has been bad luck, especially for players like Óscar and Rober who, with them, had found a base team and we had done very well against Espanyol and Mallorca, in addition to the help of Jonathan Silva and at the expense of Edu Espiau. My job is to find solutions and be positive. “
How the casualties affect training
“It also affects the whole club. We have eight players out (Cedrés, Aythami, Cardona, Loiodice, Rober, Jonathan, Clemente and Espiau). That weakens you, because I am forced to pull the boys, also out of conviction and because I Like it. Team B is also committed to having a good year. I also empathize with Juan Manuel. This is a chain and if I stay with players it spreads downward. As for COVID, it is personal responsibility, first towards themselves, towards their families and then weaken the team. “
Possible reinforcements in attack
“We have an extensive list of names that I would like to bring, but the reality is what it is and our realities are what they are. We are looking at the possibilities that may exist. We only have Araujo up and with the hope that everything is at the level as long as possible. We adapt to what we have to live. As it happens to many teams around the world. I will throw what I have and the quarry is there. The second laps are very complicated and there is time for everything, both for the good as for the bad “.
Message to Clau Mendes
“The quarry is lucky to have a coaching staff from the first team that does not lose their rings in putting young people. But it also requires work, sacrifice, seriousness … It is just as easy to go up as it is down.”
The origin of COVID-19 cases
“Covid-19 is the personal responsibility of each one and you have to comply with the rules thinking about the people around you. I don’t want to look beyond that. We have had these four cases and whatever it is we must look at ourselves. We have a protocol that has been very good for us. I’m not talking about the others. “
The level of Leganés
“It is a team with many possibilities in all positions. I need two hands to count its forwards. And in addition to a high level. In the center of the field they have magnificent players. It is a First Division team and it costs a lot to win. They do things are very good. They always use 4-4-2 and it will not be easy. We will have to move the ball very fast if we want to surprise them. “
Aythami, successfully operated on her Achilles tendon
The yellow center-back, who has been dragging pain since matchday 5 against Malaga, will remain out for three to four months.
UD Las Palmas has confirmed, through its website, that the yellow captain, Aythami Artiles, has been operated successfully this Friday morning at the Perpetuo Socorro Hospital, in the capital of Gran Canaria, from the injury that affected his right Achilles tendon, which had kept him away from the team since last November 25, when he played his last game against CD Mirandés.
The central veteran already confirmed this intervention a few days ago, assessing that “they have told me that in 3 months I can be training 100% with my teammates. It is true that everything is very fair, but I want to go back to being in the day to day and, above all, they give me the confidence that it will be taken away from me. My goal is to recover to compete and hopefully I can reach the end of the league and play some games ”.
The withdrawal period is estimated to be between three and four months.