Real Sociedad vs Espanyol preview - Ansotegi: Espanyol will not be easy

Real Sociedad will be hoping to end a run of three games without a win when they host Espanyol on Saturday looking to strengthen their bid for an automatic Europa League spot.

Draws at Osasuna and Celta Vigo plus the 4-0 home defeat to Real Madrid have seen the Basques slip 11 points behind Athletic Bilbao, who occupy the final Champions League berth, and five points off Sevilla, who hold the only automatic Europa League position.

Espanyol, meanwhile, have little to play for on the surface, practically guaranteed survival with 41 points and with no hope of launching a late bid for a European place.

However, La Real defender Ion Ansotegi is not fooled by the Catalan side's comfortable position.

"Espanyol are a difficult team to play against because they have nothing to play for," he told a press conference.

"They are in comfortable place. They are not going to run into trouble and they will find it difficult to move further up the table, so I'm sure they are going to go out to enjoy themselves.

"They won't allow themselves to be exposed and they will be hard to play against, because they defend very well."

The defender, who is expected to start in place of the suspended Inigo Martinez, also acknowledged that the team "need to return to being strong and competitive" after their lacklustre run of results.

Saturday's game will be the first since the club decided to renew coach Jagoba Arrastate's contract until 2016, and the timing of the announcement has not gone down well with a number of supporters, given the team's dip in form.

But Ansotegi gave his backing to the coach.

He said: "It's true that the last few games have not been good, but those of us in the team know that we are doing a good job."

As well as Martinez, La Real will have to cope without their talisman Antoine Griezmann, who is suspended, while Xabi Prieto is still recovering from an ankle injury.

Espanyol defender Hector Moreno is a doubt with back trouble, while midfielder Abraham Gonzalez has been ruled out with an ankle problem.