UD Almería head coach Xavier García Pimienta is under no illusions about the challenge facing UD Almería this Sunday as they travel to Catalonia to take on Girona FC. He described the fixture as 'not just a difficult game, but an extremely tough one', highlighting the quality of Girona FC who were competing in top-tier LaLiga EA Sports last season and have also experienced Champions League football in recent years.

Despite the scale of the challenge, the gaffer is confident his players are ready for the occasion: ''I'm feeling calm because of what I've seen from the players in training this week. It's been an excellent week of work and we're ready for this big game.'

García Pimienta highlights Girona's attacking threat and high press and was also keen to highlight the Catalans' strengths and the threat they pose.

'Most of the team players have got  LaLiga EA Sports experience and their head coach is excellent. They're the highest-scoring team at home, they like to play combination football, defend high up the pitch and press aggressively as soon as they lose possession,' García Pimienta explained.

He expects his side to face a stern test, both in possession and when trying to play through Girona FC's high press.

The pre-match press conference also took a sombre turn following the tragic death of CD Tenerife player Jesús de Miguel. 'It's been an incredibly difficult week. I remember getting home on Monday, putting the match on and seeing that tragic incident happen. It left everyone feeling deeply unsettled and when we later found out how things had ended, it was even harder to take,' he recalled.

The Barcelona-born then paid tribute to the player and offered his condolences: 'I want to send a heartfelt message of support to his family, the CD Tenerife fans, the players and everyone connected with football. It's affected so many people.'

Finally, García Pimienta confirmed that Rodrigo Ely and Melamed will miss Sunday's trip to Girona, while Chirino remains a doubt: 'We've still got two training sessions to govand we'll see how he gets on. He's feeling much better, and if he feels ready, he'll be included in the squad.'