After more than a month in the job, the Spaniard is finally preparing for competitive football, and the challenge is via the Carabao Cup, as Gillingham head to Molineux. Speaking during his first pre-match press conference, Lopetegui gave an update on his returning Portuguese contingent and Raul Jimenez’s fitness, as he prepares a side with the aim of reaching the last eight of the Carabao Cup.
On seeing the right character
“Knowing more about the characters is very important because when you see a player, but don’t know him, it’s very important to know the character. We are happy with the commitment. They want to improve every day and we are happy, but we want to see it in the official matches.
“Sometimes in football, daily work is always happy, but we start with the first important test and step. We have to know more about the characters of course because it’s important. We’re excited for it, we want to win tomorrow and we’re going to see more about this character.”
On respecting Gillingham
“I know that they have eliminated Brentford and I feel they are going to be a very dangerous team. In the cup all things can happen because it’s only one match. We have to be ready, we are alert and we know the way they play usually and we have to be ready for tomorrow. It’s a team that is very clear how they want to play, and we have to be ready to double up in our best way.”
On injuries in the camp
“We have a problem with Jonny and ‘Bouba’ [Traore]. The rest of the players are ready.”
On the Portuguese contingent returning
“They came back in a good way and they are focused on here. The World Cup is a very big experience for all the players, but now they are focused on here and are going to help us tomorrow to get our aim, to go through in the cup.”
On Jimenez’s current conditions
“He’s working very hard, like the rest of the squad. He’s trying to improve his feet and his body to feel better to help more. Tomorrow is going to a chance for him and the rest of the squad and he’s trying to improve us, like the rest of the players.
“He feels better but not perfect. We are going to try to get him to feel better and be in the best way. Now he’s trying to put his body in the best way and be fit for us. He’s working very hard every day. The World Cup has passed, I prefer to put the focus in the present with Raul and the rest of the players.”
The whole team back together.
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 16, 2022
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On one month in the job
“I think they are working very hard, focused, concentrating, trying to understand what we want to do. In the matches against Birmingham and in Spain against Empoli and Cadiz, step by step I think they are understanding more about us, and in the same way us about them. We have to improve more in the next matches and tomorrow is the first important test because it’s the first official match.
“We are playing an exciting Carabao Cup tie, we want to win, we know it’s going to be a hard task because it’s the cup and we are talking about only one match. This is football and we know what can happen, so we have to be ready, but at the same time, we want to win this match a lot.”
