Oscar Garcia hopes for magic touch in first game as Celta boss at Barcelona

New Celta boss Oscar Garcia insisted he has no magic wand to beat Barcelona.

The former Brighton manager takes charge of his first game at his former club on Saturday.

Garcia replaced Fran Escriba, who was sacked after the 1-0 defeat by Getafe which left Celta in 18th place having lost their last four games.

And the ex-Watford boss, who started his career at the Nou Camp, knows the task ahead.

He told Spanish news outlet Sport: “We have worked things, but I am not a magician. We play first and foremost Barca, a very good team that has incorporated great players like (Frenkie) De Jong or (Antoine) Griezmann.

“There is no clear idea to hurt them.

“We are going to go play our game and I hope we regain our confidence. That, at least, it will help us. We will try to win.

“We know the field we are going and the situation in which they are in, but we must focus a lot on us, to improve every week and every day to be better.

“There are weaves but we have to work on some things that are very improvable and that is where we are going to have a big impact.

“I want the fans to feel proud of how we play and of the feeling we have when we play. I believe in that a lot.”

Garcia is without injured Barca loanee Rafinha, with Santi Mina, Claudio Beauvue and Kevin Vazquez also sidelined.

Barcelona’s left-back Jordi Alba has suffered a reoccurance of his hamstring injury and is also out.

Boss Ernesto Valverde’s position at Barca has been under constant scrutiny this season.

They are top of LaLiga, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference.

Valverde told a press conference: “We need a win and to get back to picking up three points at a time. We’re motivated to stay top the standings.

“Celta have good players and it’s not normal for them to have so few goals with the players they have. It’s a team that will get out of the bottom part of the standings.

“They have talent and they’ll show it.”