Malaga vs Eibar preview - Gracia: We are confident

Malaga coach Javi Gracia says his team's impressive run of form has lifted pressure from his players and has laughed off suggestions they are more likely to become complacent with each positive result.

Malaga's 1-0 win at Real Sociedad last Saturday was their fourth consecutive league victory, making them the team with the second best form in the Primera Division.

"I prefer working when my team are winning games rather than losing them, it doesn't make me relaxed, in fact it motivates me and gives me more strength to keep on going," the coach told a press conference, published on the club's official website, ahead of Saturday's game with Eibar.

"I feel good at the moment and so do the team, this run has given them confidence. But we are also aware of the difficulty of the next game and once again we are going to run ourselves into the ground."

Malaga will be weakened by the loss of three key players, however, with Vitorino Antunes, Roberto Rosales and Sergio Sanchez all out injured, leaving Gracia without three quarters of his first choice back four.

On the plus side for Gracia, all his midfielders and attackers are available for the game, and Ignacio Camacho will play with an extra spring in his step after earning a first call up to Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad.

"The absentees have all been playing together in the same area so the team's usual shape will change, but I'm very relaxed because I have a lot of faith in the players that will play," said Gracia, who has named a squad of 21 players for the match with Eibar.

The Basque side moved up to ninth in the table after Monday's dramatic 3-2 win at Rayo Vallecano, but have been dealt a blow with the news that Italian striker Federico Piovacarri has torn a muscle and is certain to miss the game with Malaga.

In spite of the absence of the forward, Gracia believes the game game with Eibar "is going to be much tougher than the last few games we have played."

He added: "They are a tall team with good crossers of the ball and they are strong from set-pieces, be they free-kicks, corners and throw-ins. They have a lot of attacking options and we will have to be alert, balanced and well organised as we try to defend against them."