Celta Vigo vs Real Sociedad preview - Canales: Madrid win a real boost

Midfielder Sergio Canales admits Real Sociedad are still scarred by their Europa League exit, but believes their stunning 4-2 win over Real Madrid will help heal the wounds and inspire the team to have another successful season, beginning with Saturday's trip to Celta Vigo.

The Basques were sent packing from Europe after a crushing 4-0 defeat in Russia to Krasnodar, but responded by defeating Carlo Ancelotti's star-studded Champions League winners at Anoeta despite trailing 2-0 early on.

Canales told reporters: "Obviously not getting through the Europa League tie sunk our spirits, but the victory over Madrid, especially considering how we did it, coming from behind with the team giving everything we had, gave us enormous satisfaction and confidence.

"That victory can only help us believe in ourselves again."

La Real's next opponents Celta are sitting third in the Primera Division table with four points from their opening two games, but Canales believes his side are more than capable of leaving Galicia with victory.

He added: "Celta have started the season really well and have a lot of quality players but our morale is much greater after the victory over Real Madrid."

Unfortunately for Sociedad, David Zurutuza, who led the fightback against Madrid and scored two of his side's goals, is a doubt for the trip to Balaidos after sustaining a knock to the knee in training.

Also, striker Carlos Vela, scorer of the final goal against the European champions, is also doubtful following a recurrence of the foot injury which blighted his pre-season.

Celta do not have a clean bill of health either, though, with midfielder Augusto Fernandez expected to be out for at least another three weeks with a muscle tear, while club captain Borja Oubina will be out of action until January following a knee operation.

"Augusto is a key player for us but the players that are fit must keep driving us forward," said Celta defender Gustavo Cabral on the loss of his fellow Argentinian, while he also called the possible absence of Vela "good news for Celta, because he's an unpredictable and dangerous player who we'll have to pay a lot of attention to in the end if he plays."

Cabral added of the match: "Real Sociedad are a very difficult team to play against, a top quality side, but we are playing at home with our fans behind us and we have every chance of winning.

"It won't be easy, but if we manage to impose our style of play from the start with a lot of intensity, we can harm them."