Muniain: “We're only concentrating on Getafe”

Athletic Club captain Iker Muniain reiterated that the players and staff are solely focused on Saturday's LaLiga fixture against Getafe at San Mames (16:15 CEST).

After facing Getafe, the Lions have a short turnaround before they welcome CA Osasuna to Bilbao for the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Tuesday.

"The team is only concentrating on Saturday's game," the skipper said at a press conference on Wednesday. "We've experienced situations like this before where we have the Copa match against Osasuna on Tuesday but an important LaLiga match first.

"All our energy and attention is on that LaLiga match. We have a lot riding on it if we want to achieve the targets we set ourselves at the beginning of the season and there will be a lot of direct clashes for those places coming up. We want to win to stay in the fight."

Getafe are always a difficult opponent, with Muniain stressing that the "margin for error is getting smaller and smaller as the matches go by".

He continued: "The best way to prepare for Tuesday's game is to win this Saturday. Other results may also help us to cut points in the standings. Victories spur you on and give you extra conviction in what you're doing. It will be complicated because Getafe are an intense team, who don't leave you any space, who don't let you think. They are an uncomfortable opponent."

In a season in which the playmaker is getting fewer minutes on the pitch, Muniain admits that his ambition is to "always play" and that is what we works towards.

"Every time I go out I try to enjoy myself, I'm in love with football and this sport," he said. "I still enjoy it when I get on the pitch and I work hard to always be available and play as many minutes as possible. The intention of all of us is to contribute as much as I can."