FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Girona v Feyenoord - Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain - October 2, 2024 Girona coach Michel walks on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo
(Reuters) - Girona have to cope with the absence of injured key players after Saturday's 1-0 home loss to Real Sociedad, said coach Michel, who highlighted his squad's character despite a disappointing start to the LaLiga season.
Last season's surprise package Girona have struggled to find form this campaign and have slipped to 13th in the league standings after their fourth defeat in 10 games.
Michel lamented his side's depleted attack following injuries to forwards Bryan Gil, Yaser Asprilla and more recently Abel Ruiz.
"We have to keep working, the offensive potential of the team without injured players ... you lack depth, you always lose somewhere, we don't have any player on the pitch who can play as a winger," the Spanish manager told reporters.
"We need to improve in our final pass, in our one-on-one determination, to get into the box more. These things are the most difficult thing in football, scoring goals.
"Last year we had a lot of goals, this year it's harder for us."
Fans at Girona's Montilivi stadium expressed their frustration after another underwhelming performance, but Michel backed his players who were up against tough opponents.
"Fans have to understand the process in which the players are. There is no player, because I would not allow it, that does not give his maximum performance in terms of attitude, mentality, illusion, motivation, energy," he said.
"If they say that we play good or not, I respect that, but we try to play good football and mistakes are part of the game.
"It's not easy, today we faced a team with 14 internationals and for the first half hour we tried to go for them... you can't say to any Girona player that they don't give their all for this shirt."
Girona next host Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
