Pellegrini: Betis still lack a defensive midfielder; Ceballos unavailable against Real Madrid

Pellegrini analyzed Betis' league match against Real Madrid tomorrow.

Betis head coach Pellegrini attended a press conference at the Luis del Sol Sports City press room this afternoon, analyzing how the team will approach tomorrow's La Liga fourth-round match against Real Madrid at La Cartuja Stadium. He also used the occasion to comment on the transfer market, which closed on Tuesday, and reiterated that he believes the team still lacks a defensive midfielder.

On how the team will approach the match: "Like all teams at the start of the season, we are recovering our rhythm one match at a time. We played three matches before this, the first two were quite good, while the last one was very poor. The team's performances have fluctuated, and that happens often. We hope to play well in the upcoming matches and recover our previous level at home."

On the transfer window without signing a defensive midfielder: "The squad is closed, and as you said, that is the situation. I have already expressed my original view, and it will not change in three or four days. We will look at things week by week and find the best solution."

On having only two defensive midfielders in the squad: "Those analyses should be made by you. This week I will try different options, see what happens in matches, and try different positions. We know everyone's qualities, and we also know everyone has the ability and the right to build the team. So we will continue to observe whether they can play together, whether they can start together, whether the schedule is crowded, and whether anyone gets injured... These factors always change the ideal lineup for every match."

On whether Ceballos can make a major difference: "I already said last week what we needed. I believe Dani Ceballos' career has already proven that. He is a quality player who can help us in this position. We will have different options, and without doubt he will be a good reinforcement for the team. As for other analyses, let's leave them aside; if you only ask me about Ceballos, he will undoubtedly be an important option."

Can Ceballos play? "No, Ceballos is not in the squad. He has just arrived, needs a few days to integrate, and has not played for a long time, so he is not ready to play tomorrow."

On disagreements with the sporting management: "Everyone has the right to express their opinion, and everyone's views are different. I will not publicly analyze possible private comparisons within the club."

On the dispute with Mourinho: "I have known Mourinho for many years, and we have faced each other many times on the pitch. A long time ago there was a verbal disagreement between us, but it has had no impact for a long time. Everyone can say what they want to say. I was very happy at Malaga, and it was one of the best decisions of my career, so there is no conflict between us. Maybe the media wanted to create opposition. We have faced each other many times: sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. I have always had a good opinion of him as a coach, and I think he is more mature than he was a few years ago and speaks more rationally now."

On Pablo Garcia's departure: "There were many controversial aspects to Pablo Garcia's departure. First, I spoke with him a month ago, about three weeks ago, and told him he should stay because he is an important player, but he needed to become more mature, continue growing, and has a promising future. Second, he wanted to leave himself; in recent weeks he had been looking for possibilities to depart and communicating with relevant people, hoping to be sold. Third, I think after so many years away from Betis, he may have been emotionally affected."

On tomorrow's opponent Real Madrid: "It will be a very difficult match. Facing teams near the top of the table is always like this, whether it is Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid brought in many players this year, are currently in good form, and have players who can change the balance of a match. If we want to take points, we must produce a very complete performance."

On other unavailable players: "Giovani Lo Celso and Abde are not in tomorrow's squad. Giovani is almost ready and has taken part in nearly all training sessions with the team. As you said, Abde had flu symptoms today and could not come in. We hope both can recover to be available next week."

On Antony and other absences: "The unavailable players are Diego Conde and Aitor, who already had injuries. Antony also had a viral infection, fever and flu symptoms a few days ago, but he has trained normally for three consecutive days, so he will be in the squad tomorrow. Otherwise, only Losada is excluded from the 23-man squad, along with Ceballos, who has just started integrating into the team."

On overlapping positions: "You should all know my view. Otherwise I would have said long ago: we still need an attacking midfielder, a striker, a goalkeeper and a full-back. Then you could ask me whether the current squad is enough. If I say we still need one more player and that player has not arrived, my view remains the same. Other positions have two players like in previous years, and there is no major problem."

On Ceballos' position: "I do not think this creates any limitation. As you said, both players are very versatile. Ceballos has played behind the striker, alongside defensive midfielders and on the wing. Pablo Fornals can also play there. Their qualities are not limited to one position; they have the ability to perform in different roles."

On Iker Losada deciding not to leave: "I do not have any special view. For me, the squad is the squad, and I decide in every match which players are in the best condition. It is not my job to push players away; my responsibility is to do my best to manage them and keep them ready. These players were also signed not long ago. From this perspective, I think Losada knows my opinion. His position is difficult because ahead of him are Isco, Lo Celso, Ceballos and Fornals, but the player himself is the one who makes decisions. My job is to work with them, whether they are the strongest, weakest, most expensive or cheapest players; for me they are all the same, and the demands are the same."

On fans' disappointment with the transfer market: "I understand that football is full of passion, not pure reason. Betis fans have that passion, and everyone naturally hopes to have a stronger squad. We must also see that expectations will be higher. Champions League matches will bring many setbacks and difficult moments, but I think this team has always responded over the years. We have had years when we sold far more than we signed, but the team always knew how to stand up. Now we face a higher level because we have the Champions League. Fans are certainly excited, but I believe the supporters of Betis will ultimately remain the same, and the Betis players will give everything in every match to satisfy them."

On whether he can guarantee the team will respond: "I cannot predict the future. But I can tell you that in football anything can happen, and that is why the sport is so popular. We played very well in the first two matches, and the opponents did not score; in preseason, opponents also failed to score. Levante had not scored before, but then they scored five against us, and we also conceded five. That is football, every day is different. I always tell the players: after a win you have 24 hours to celebrate, and after a loss you have 24 hours to process the disappointment. The next match is completely different, and we will continue working with basically the same approach as in the previous seven seasons."

On Deossa and conversations with teammates: "I have already said that I will not interfere with whether players accept offers or reject offers. What Nelson Deossa talked about yesterday was another matter, unrelated to himself; it was a personal issue he wanted the whole team to know about. It had nothing to do with football, it was just an off-field topic, and there was no major problem or impact."

On Morante's return: "Morante is indeed in the squad. Unfortunately, he previously suffered a serious knee injury, and this is the first time he has been able to train almost 100 percent. So yes, he has been called up."

On the European squad list and Amrabat's situation: "Regarding the list, it is the current list, there is nothing else. Regarding Amrabat, I have always stayed in contact with all players who leave, thanked them for their efforts, and let them know my personal view. This matter is over. Amrabat has signed with Ajax, and I wish him all the best in his future career. We will focus on the players we have."

On his future at Betis: "This is not my priority at the moment, so I do not think it will have any impact in that regard."