Javier Aguirre says he is looking forward to facing his former side ahead of our trip to Osasuna.
Our manager featured as a player and manager at El Sadar Stadium, and with a hectic fixture schedule ahead of us, Aguirre believes everyone has a part to play over the coming weeks.
"Osasuna is a good example to follow because it has consolidated itself in LaLiga for several years, making good signings,” Aguirre told journalists. “The coach has been in charge of the team for several years. It is a team that is competing at a high level.
“It is true that we are close to them in the league, but it is also true that at their place they are a very difficult team to beat. They have very clear ideas. The crowd's support is a factor to consider. I think it's going to be a nice duel.
"They will all have to play. Moreover, all three are very tough matches. All three are very different: Osasuna at their ground; Real Sociedad there in the Copa and Celta here at home.
“We are playing for our future in the cup and in the league this week, although there is still a lot of the league left. We would already be, for better or worse, taking a good leap forward.
"At the moment, we are with the possibility of Dani being out because he has a discomfort. Galarreta also has a slight muscular discomfort. We will travel all of them and we will see how they evolve.”
Having beaten Osasuna on the final day of the season to ensure we beat the drop last year, Aguirre wants to use this victory as motivation heading into this weekend’s game.
"It was the first thing I told them in the pre-match talk,” he said. “It was a nice day for us. Osasuna didn't make things easy for us, obviously. Of course, today we're playing for the three points and neither of us have our work cut out like we did on that day. It will be a different game to that day.”
