Piazon keen to prove themselves

Posted Saturday, January 19, 2013 by PA

Lucas Piazon is hoping he will be given the chance to prove himself at Malaga after joining the club on loan from English Premier League side Chelsea until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old Brazilian, who can play either as a striker or out wide, is not in the squad for the Primera Division game at home to Celta Vigo but has been encouraged by a brief conversation with manager Manuel Pellegrini.

He told www.malagacf.com: "This is a great time for Malaga. I decided to come here because Malaga is such a great club. I was told I'd be made very welcome and would be very happy here.

"I hope I get opportunities to play with the Blue and Whites. I spoke briefly to Pellegrini before he left for Barcelona, so I hope to get the chance to help the team out as much as I can."

Malaga have problems off the pitch and this week announced they would appeal the European ban imposed by UEFA for financial irregularities at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But on the pitch they continue to perform well, sitting fifth in the table despite successive league defeats, and on Wednesday they held Barcelona to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Nou Camp.

Joaquin and Jeremy Toulalan return to the squad for the match against Celta, who are 15th but only three points clear of bottom side Osasuna.

The club were saddened by the serious knee injury sustained by defender Hugo Mallo in a cup match against Real Madrid last week but the 21-year-old underwent a successful operation on Thursday.

Mallo's team-mates wore T-shirts showing their support before last week's defeat by Espanyol.

Club doctor Juan Jose Garcia Cota told www.celtavigo.net: "We found what we expected, a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral meniscus. Everything went well and there were no complications in surgery."

Meanwhile, defender Andres Tunez will miss the match after picking up a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for three weeks.