“Hirving is an important player for us, last year he had a performance below his chances,” the coach noted
Gennaro Gattuso, Napoli coach, said on Wednesday that he misses Hirving Lozano, especially because of how he has grown during the campaign, and that his team barely has fourteen first team players to face the Andalusian team, but he doesn’t want that to become an excuse.
“Lozano is an important player for us, last year he had a performance below his possibilities. He is low as many are, but we have Politano, with Insigne who are doing well. We hope to recover as much as possible. soon better to many players, “he assured.
The strategist added that his team cannot mourn the large number of casualties they will face this Thursday in the first leg of the last 16 of the Europa League against Granada, which they consider an “atypical Spanish team”.
“We are in an emergency, we know that, but we didn’t come here on holiday. We want to play a great game and a great Napoli will be needed,” Gattuso said at the press conference prior to the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium match.
“We can’t cry, we have to face the matches and take it seriously,” the Italian coach added.
Naples arrives in Granada without being able to count on Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina, Greek Kostas Manolas, Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, Albanian Elseid Hysaj, Algerian Faouzi Ghoulam, on defense, German Diego Demme, in midfield , nor with the Mexican Hirving Lozano, the Belgian Dries Mertens and Andrea Petagna, in the front.
The Italian coach also denied that Granada’s lack of experience in European competitions, as Diego Martinez’s men are in their first experience, could be decisive.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of experience. We measure ourselves against a tough team, with clear characteristics. For them it’s a great event, we know we will have to fight. Granada is not easy to face, I’ve seen how they face technically good teams, ”he explained.
“We need a performance of character, but also technical. It’s an atypical Spanish team, they know what they have to do, they move fast and you have to be respectful, I wouldn’t talk about experience,” he continued.