Manolo Jimenez has urged his Real Zaragoza players to not concern themselves with the state of the squad and to focus only on Espanyol.
The Aragonese lost their opening match of the season last weekend at home to newly-promoted Real Valladolid, following on from another summer of change and struggle in the transfer market, amid crippling debt.
However, whilst Jimenez admits that the situation is still to be rectified appropriately for the team to compete in La Liga, he is intent that it doesn’t get to his players with time still on their side.
“We must talk of Espanyol and not pity ourselves. We will wait until August 31 because we believe it is necessary to strengthen the team.
“We know we are missing players for our spine, but with our economic problems our first choices could not come.
“In pre-season and against Real Valladolid last weekend we have given everything, and that is enough. No matter what happens, we must get the best return from what we will have available to us.
“The players weren’t well after the Valladolid defeat, but they are aware that another game comes around and that we have to go step by step to earn the most points possible and we do not believe it will be as anxious as last season.
“Let’s not try to fall from grace by getting only nine or 10 points in the first half of the season, as happened last year.
“With what we have now we should have beaten Valladolid, because we deserved it. We will be much improved against Espanyol and we’ll give everything to win and if we add players by August 31 then we can pull forward and earn as many points as necessary to keep things close.”
