Xavi: Umm Salal clash will be difficult, injuries won’t be an obstacle for our progress

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez stressed on difficulty of his side’s upcoming clash against Umm Salal in Round 15 of the QNB Stars League.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Xavi said: “We need to win three points. Umm Salal is one of the teams looking to survive and escape from relegation, and so the match will not be easy. They also had a change in coach, and the team has become more organized, especially from the defensive aspect.”

He added: “At Al Sadd, we need points to reach the top, and we must focus on this match and forget about the AFC Champions League now.”

Regarding the causes of the many injuries that hit the team recently, Xavi said: “There is no single reason; injuries are a part of football. I remember when I was a player in Barcelona, within three weeks, four very important players were injured.”

“We have Abdulaziz Al Ansari, who will return to training on Sunday. Ali Asad and Salem Al-Hajri have a long time ahead to recover, and Hassan Al-Haidos will be away for two and a half months.”

He continued: “Injuries are not excuses for us, we have young players who are able to compensate. We want to achieve our goals, which are winning the league and the Amir Cup, and qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League and this is not an easy thing, and I am happy with all of the good work we do.”