Jose Luis Mendilibar wants his Osasuna side to be ready and fighting from the first whistle this weekend as the season kicks off.
The Rojillos travel to newly-returned Deportivo de La Coruna this weekend for a Monday-evening clash that the Coach has warned his players, they must be ready for.
“You have to be 100 per cent,” he told the assembled media before leaving with the team for the flight west.
“It is not enough to say we will be 100 per cent by Christmas. We have to start strong and play from the first game. The excuses do not work, they are for the loser.
“The pre-season friendlies have ended and this will be the test, now we begin in seriousness. We value the three points and will try to start collecting them.
“Deportivo is a good team that has only been in La Segunda for a season, but I hope that we can put our pace of play on the game and that they will have to play to our rhythm, rather than to theirs.”
Whilst anxiety may surround ensuring his players are on message, there is no such worry over picking a first XI, even if it is also presenting a headache in itself.
“It is complicated because no-one deserves to be left out. We have all trained very well. On the starting line-up I am convinced I could pick a number of combinations and it would work out.
“What matters is not who plays but that we get it right in the match.”
