Pieta Hotspurs will once again be making use of several of their own nursery players as they look forward to a satisfying run in this year’s Bank of Valletta Premier League.

The Hotspurs have only made three new acquisitions this season. They are Bulgarian Peycho Deliminkov, former Valletta goalie Miguel Montfort and Edward Mercieca, who has joined on a one-year loan.

The above players, together with Martin Deanov and last year’s foreigners, Kondev and Galabov, should enable the youngsters to gain some very useful experience.

Coach Carmel Busuttil, the former Malta ace, is convinced that the side is able to perform well. “We can make any opponent suffer so long as my players believe in their own capabilities. I believe we can make many a surprise this season. We are targeting a Top Six berth and that is not beyond the team’s reach.

“I consider Sliema, Valletta, Birkirkara, Hibernians and Marsaxlokk as the title challengers. The rest should be more or less of the same level even if Floriana left a very good impression in their 3-2 win over Valletta on Monday,” said Busuttil.

He added that the pre-season served more or less to show the team’s defects. “Now starting from today (against Marsaxlokk), I hope that those errors committed in the friendlies will not be repeated in the competitive ones,” he said.

Asked where Pieta will be looking for their points, Busuttil said: “I have to be realistic. We have no title ambitions, but to try and obtain that sixth place, we have to do well against the teams more or less of the same calibre.”

Busuttil said nine players of his 22-man squad come from the Under 18s and the first team will include at least five of them, even if they are no newcomers to the Premier League, have also been included on some occasions by the previous coach.

Club vice-president Joe Sammut thanked Teamsport for their continuous collaboration. “It is the third year that they are sponsoring us with a full kit, even for our nursery. They have always provided us with a good service,” he said.