MADRID, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Girona coach Michel Sanchez has received a big boost as his side prepares for a vital UEFA Champions League visit to Austria on Wednesday after he was named Manager of the Month for November in La Liga.
Wins against Leganes, Getafe and Espanyol have lifted Girona to seventh place in La Liga after a difficult start to the campaign as they struggled to combine the demands of domestic and European football for the first time in the club's history.
As well as losing key players such as top-scorer Artem Dovbyk, Yan Couto and Savinho over the summer, Girona's season has been hit by a continued stream of injuries, with Michel at times forced to put out a team with half of his first-team squad on the sidelines.
The injuries are at last clearing up, while new arrivals Bryan Gil and Bojan Miovski look to be forming an understanding in attack, as Girona has scored nine goals in its last three league outings.
Now it has to transform the domestic upturn to Europe, with Wednesday's visit to play Sturm Graz giving it the chance to move towards a playoff place.
Girona is 29th out of the 36 teams with three points from its opening four games, while Sturm Graz is 33rd after losing all four of its matches to date, scoring just one goal.
A win does look vital as Girona's next rival is Liverpool, who has a 100 percent record ahead of its match against Real Madrid. Enditem
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