Roberto? And two more internationals in the next break

Eder Sarabia makes his Espanyol debut against Deportivo, confident the team is ready to win despite still building his tactical model.

Eder Sarabia held his first press conference as Espanyol manager on Friday ahead of Saturday's home match against Deportivo. The new coach, who will miss the game due to a one-match suspension carried over from his time at Elche, expressed confidence in his squad's ability to secure victory despite having limited time to implement his full tactical approach.

Sarabia acknowledged the challenge of recovering Espanyol's home form, with the team winless at the RCDE Stadium since the opening day. He emphasized the importance of building gradually rather than expecting immediate transformation, saying the team is "prepared more than enough to win" but needs time to refine his model. He praised Deportivo as a well-resourced opponent with multiple attacking threats and speed in defence.

On individual players, Sarabia highlighted midfielder Roberto's recent Spain call-up as a positive sign and expressed hope for two more international selections in the next break. He also noted the competition for the goalkeeper position between Marko Dmitrović and Ángel Franco, both of whom he credited with strong recent performances. Urko Vera is the only confirmed absentee for the fixture.