Torrecilla: "If Anyone Wants Aranda, It's Me... But I See Things I Don't Like"

Hercules coach Ruben Torrecilla addressed the surprising exclusion of Antonio Aranda this Friday, a signing who arrived in Alicante this summer at the express request of the Extremaduran coach. The attacking midfielder has only played 16 minutes in the last four league matches despite starting the season at a very high level and being indispensable behind the striker.

"If anyone wants Aranda, it's me. I want the best for him, but I see things I don't like, especially defensively. He played in the Cup and I also saw things I didn't like... so he doesn't play. And I don't care if he's one of my boys from Granada, here if someone relaxes, they get overtaken," explained the Hercules coach, who also acknowledged that the injury of pivot Mario Garcia has also played a part: "If I pair Mangada, Artiles, and Aranda, who defends there? If you lose the midfield in this category, you're dead. Mario has already started training with the group and hopefully, we can count on him next week."

Torrecilla warned of the potential of Sevilla Atletico, Hercules' opponent this Sunday (Rico Perez, 12:00 pm). The reserve team fell to Intercity 4-2 this Wednesday, but the Hercules coach is clear that they remain a dangerous opponent. "The same with all reserve teams, I've coached one. You have to make them uncomfortable and dominate them. If you don't and they have their day, they can drive you crazy. On Wednesday, they lost 4-2, but it was a misleading score because it was 2-2 until the final minutes, and Sevilla had their chances to win. And against Ibiza, the match was even, and they lost on a set piece," he recalled.

The Hercules coach confirmed the injuries of Oriol Soldevila, Mario Garcia, and Del Moral for this weekend, and the big doubt is Nico Espinosa, with the calf knock that forced him to request a substitution in Huelva. Meanwhile, forward Dani Romera could return to action in the second half two months later after completing the training week with the group.