Pellegrini: "We need to win and will go all out from the first minute"

Pellegrini says Betis must win at Málaga to bounce back from the Barcelona loss; Junior Firpo out, Antony available.

Manuel Pellegrini held his pre-match press conference ahead of Betis's trip to Málaga, emphasizing the need to recover from last week's home defeat to Barcelona. The Chilean manager acknowledged that Málaga, despite sitting bottom of the table, "plays well and has good players," and warned his team not to be overconfident.

On the injury front, Pellegrini confirmed Junior Firpo requires more recovery time and will miss the squad, while Antony is available after overcoming a viral illness. Troy Parrott is ready to reclaim a starting role following his recent substitute appearances and a burglary at his home. Dani Ceballos, who has been sidelined for an extended period, is progressing well and will be in the squad, though Pellegrini did not confirm if he will start.

Pellegrini reflected warmly on his three seasons at Málaga but made clear emotions will be set aside during the match. He also dismissed any suggestion of revenge over Isco's injury from a friendly against Málaga, calling it "a completely accidental incident." Aitor Ruibal is fully recovered, and the manager will assess Cucho Hernández's fitness over the next ten days ahead of the Copa del Rey fixture.