Vicente Iborra returned to playing in the friendly against Braga, 264 days after his injury
Villarreal midfielder Vicente Iborra returned to action more than eight months after his injury, exactly 264 days later, in the friendly match against SC Braga. The midfielder underlined his happiness at returning, although he emphasized that, like his team-mates, he will need to earn playing time. “Because of COVID, I had to stop my recovery, but I started pre-season like everyone else. I’m happy to be back, but now I need to work on the day-to-day routine and repay the trust the manager has shown in me. For me, the most important thing is helping the team. I am very grateful to the club, the coaching stuff and the supporters for the trust they’ve shown in me these few months.”
Returning to the pitch
Regarding his return, Iborra underlined that he felt good, although he was frustrated by the defeat. “I’m happy that I am playing once more, but one the other hand I’m frustrated because we wanted to win. The team was keen on getting a win.”
Absences for the Submarine
The Valencian also highlighted the game will be useful to reach conclusions: “It’s been a tough week, with team-mates missing. We need to take a number of conclusions from this match, both physically and tactically. We wanted to perform well, but it needs to help us to prepare for the game against Alavés.”
Winning mentality
Finally, Iborra explained that in the next match, “we need to have a winning mentality and beat Alavés.” For the No.10, the team is growing and is working hard to improve. “You can’t say we lack commitment. I’m convinced that results are going to come.”
