Olympiacos, Bartzokas provides injury update: Milutinov and Fournier still being evaluated

Following their road win over Besiktas, Olympiacos are preparing to face Olimpia Milano in the EuroLeague. Ahead of the game, head coach Georgios Bartzokas discussed the team’s performance, Nikos Plotas’ European debut and the status of several injured players.

ON THE WIN OVER BESIKTAS

“Of course, we are satisfied. No EuroLeague game is easy, especially on the road and given the situation our team is facing with the absences. The fact that Besiktas also had players missing may have made things easier for us during the game. I think we played a good defensive game. We stayed focused, showed a competitive character and played to win. It was a very important victory, and we need to forget about it as quickly as possible”.

ON NIKOS PLOTAS’ EUROLEAGUE DEBUT

“Every player, once he puts on the Olympiacos jersey, must be potentially ready to contribute to wins and success, while naturally making mistakes as well, especially if he lacks experience at this level. Of course, we are more tolerant of young players who do not yet have that experience, but the willingness he showed during the game, and particularly his defensive commitment, were very important. That is why he played during crucial moments of the game rather than in situations that had no real consequences”.

ON THE GAME AGAINST OLIMPIA MILANO AND THE INJURY SITUATION

“Olimpia have already been in Athens for two days, and given that they played against Panathinaikos, the energy factor will be important. Obviously, we will have to manage our rotations to stay fresh, especially considering the absences we have, particularly in the backcourt. It is important to approach the game with the same seriousness as always.

Although Milan have not collected many points in the standings, they are a team with talent, experience and good coaching. The fact that they pushed Panathinaikos to within one possession shows what they are capable of.

It is important to approach this game by forgetting what happened before and what will happen afterwards. We have to be decisive, stick to a plan and see which players we have available, because once we are in Athens, we will find out whether some of them can help us. At the moment, it seems possible that either Milutinov or Fournier could return. We also have to see whether Konchar can be included in the 12-man roster. There are two or three situations still to be resolved, but in any case, we have to play like Olympiacos, regardless of who takes the court”.