Ahead of their clash with Espanyol, Xabi was asked about again starting the Brazil star from the bench for their Champions League win against Olympique Marseille.
He began this morning's media conference, stating: “He looks good. Seeing him from the outside is very different. Yesterday I realized it wasn't the right time to talk to him, but today he had a better smile and was more positive.
"I spoke to him and ended up doing some individualized things with him during training. We'll see tomorrow."
Espanyol
"Espanyol is in good form, and we're also full of energy and eager to extend this momentum. They're an opponent with good pace and intensity, but we're playing at home and we want to play a good game, play good football, and win."
Dean Huijsen's absence
"I'm not surprised. I would have liked a different decision, but he won't be available tomorrow. We couldn't play him for 60 minutes, and it's better to leave him there because if a mistake is accepted, there should be consequences."
Will Fede Valverde return to the side?
"Fede will play in midfield, which is his position. The other day he gave the team what it needed and collectively he was very generous. He's fundamental to the system, and hopefully he won't have to play at right back, but you can't say he never will."
Kylian Mbappé
"There will be many games, and if he doesn't start in any of them, he has to take it easy. I don't think any player will play every game. It's very important, but you have to be aware of the loads, and there will be some who won't play. We've played five games, and maybe we'll have to wait and see where things go."
Is Vinicius's loss of focus hurting him?
"For me, there are many important players in this squad. In terms of level, experience, track record, and what they'll give us. Vinicius is one of them, Jude, Fede, Aurélien, Dean, Arda... I'm not going to get into those labels we want to put on them right now. I value everyone very much and I want the whole team to feel important. Everyone is in this boat, and we need everyone to pull in the same direction."
Position for Edouard Camavinga
"As a midfielder. He's obviously so complete that he can play in many positions, like Valverde. But I see him in the middle, as a six or eight. He has many abilities, and now we need to integrate him into the team's quality, both on and off the ball."
How do you get back to your best Vinicius?
"I saw him yesterday, and it wasn't the time to talk, as I said. You have to have a bit of that intuition, and we talked a little today. But we're only five league games into the season. There's still a long way to go; this is a marathon until May. We have to take it step by step."
Reunion with Jose Mourinho
"I had the chance to face him when he was at Roma and I was at Leverkusen. It will be special for him. It was three very intense years... and it was very important. He has a huge affection for this club."
How do you imagine the entire match?
"We've had several matches conditioned by context, mainly by cards. But I hope that during longer periods we have that sense of control. I want us to generate, to have stability in the game, because that will give us emotional stability. It will prevent us from getting too excited. If you go too far... sometimes you make bad decisions. The longer these phases of play are, the better."
What does Rodrygo bring?
"His quality, his ability to play, his ability to link up... but Vini also has that. Both from the start and coming off the bench, his impact has been very good."