Manuel Pellegrini gave his first press conference of 2010 the day prior to the match against Osasuna in Pamplona.

You ended 2009 with good performances and excellent results. Will the team benefit from the league stoppage?
A week off is of no relevance on a physical level. Psychologically speaking, we wish to keep the same spirit we showcased against Zaragoza and during the entire semester. We want to do this against a complicated opponent like Osasuna.

How does Kaka feel?
Luckily, he feels well. He trained normally this week, but he isn’t quite ready to play yet. He has recovered from his injury.

Have the rotations you used at the start of the season now come to an end?
We played eight games in September, October and December. It was impossible to face them with a standard lineup. Rotations were necessary. Since our elimination from the Copa del Rey, we’ve been able to use less rotations. We have to try to get the squad ready for March and April, which will be the deciding months in the championship. There are many players on his team who are currently at a great level, even if they don’t play much right now.

Does it worry you to sustain so many injuries?
We gradually sustain less injuries. Kaka has recovered and we hope Guti and Van Nistelrooy rejoin the team on Wednesday. We knew Diarra wouldn’t be available at this stage. Pepe is really our only seriously injured man, but we knew he wouldn’t be available for this match.

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