Celta Vigo midfielder Alex Lopez claims the Galicians will be 100 per cent ready for the clash with Espanyol at Balaidos on Monday.
Celta had a narrow brush with relegation last term and have since replaced Coach Abel Resino with Luis Enrique. While it is a change Lopez [pictured, left] admits the players are still getting used to, he insists they are looking forward to the season’s opener against Javier Aguirre’s team.
“The pre-season has been hard and although there have been few games we’ve had many training sessions.
“We are still getting used to the new Coach but the team is looking good and we are eager to get the new campaign underway,” the 25-year-old told reporters.
“This team is 100 per cent ready to compete. When a new boss and new players come in there is always a process of getting to know each other, taking new ideas on board, and there is still room for improvement.
“However, I think we are ready to compete and beat Espanyol.”
Enrique has tried Lopez in a number of positions over the summer, something the player admits he is still coming to terms with.
“The other day, after the Southampton game, he said he saw me as an inside midfielder, although against Maritimo he played me in the defensive pivot role, close to the centre-backs, which is a new position for me.
“I struggled a bit at first but if the boss thinks I can play there I’ll be happy to do so.
“Playing inside midfield he asks me to feed the ball into the channels and get through on goal. It’s not very different to what [former boss] Paco Herrera asked of me when we played this system,” he explained.
