‘That was not because of a lack of quality or character, I am the happiest coach that I can be to have these three guys, but in terms of it is a little bit unpredictable. We have a Club World Cup to play in December, there are many games to come and nobody knows exactly what will happen. Most of the time two of the three guys always play. Once you have one injured, once you have one suspended, you are already in danger of overloading the players.
‘So we were looking, but not desperately, for alternatives and Saul was on the radar for Chelsea for many years. I know the player since many years, I was fighting at some other clubs for the player but it was never possible. So when the situation was at the very end that it is possible to have a loan we were excited about it.
‘I think he’s exactly the type of profile we need to give Jorginho and N’Golo sometimes the break that they need. He is a good fit to play with Mateo, Jorgi and N’Golo. He is a very strategic player, has good passing ability, he has a lot of volume and comes from a tough club. I think he is a good fit and that’s why I’m absolutely happy. We do not have the biggest squad in terms of numbers, but we have a strong squad in terms of quality and character and I’m very happy that Saul is now a big part of it.’