Coach Hernan Crespo expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to appear at the level required in their coming confrontation versus Al Gharafa in Round 8 of the league, and the coach said in the pre-match press conference that was held at 3 pm yesterday in the club’s press conference hall: We are ready to return again to the league competition despite the difficulties we faced in preparing players during the World Cup, but in return we succeeded in discovering a number of young players who represent the future of the team, although we suffer from the absence of a number of our players who are with the national team, which will make us carry out a process of merging between experienced and young players.
Crespo said: I do not think about resting our international players who participated in the World Cup, as the team is expecting strong matches in the coming period. I played 12 years with the national team and did not get a rest, so I used to play with the club and then travel for long hours to join the national team and then come back and continue my training and this is the life of a professional player, and I must say that there is no place for a specific player in the squad and everyone should do their best and work hard in the training to be on the field, and now it is time for the club, and everyone must do the best in training in order to reserve their places in the starting line-up.
The coach continued: Our matches against Al Gharafa are always difficult, and I believe that the team is capable of presenting a great match, and I have confidence in the players, especially after the great efforts they have made in the recent period.
The coach concluded: We miss Edmilson a lot, and we miss his human presence with us before we miss his presence on the field, and he is not only one of the best players in the team, but also one of the best players in the league, but he continues his treatment, and we will certainly await his return after Aspetar’s approval.