David Albelda and Carlos Marchena have played down suggestions that Valencia are ready to mount a title challenge this season.

Valencia have climbed to fourth spot after an impressive 3-1 at Osasuna but the veteran midfielders wants their team to continue working hard.

Captain Marchena who scored one goal and created another felt that his team must pay no attention to talk of a title challenge, and must instead continue close to the top teams in La Liga to give themselves a chance in the latter stages of the season.

"We must forget what is said about us. We must continue in the league and stay the top group, the best group. We have to stay there and we'll see during the final stages of the competition what can happen," he Super Deporte.

"The team is improving since the season started and what we have achieved at this stage is important. We have to be happy with what we are doing, we're pretty good, we are four [points] behind the leader [Real Madrid] and three off Barcelona. We must continue to work with humility and hard work," said 32-year-old Albelda.

Both players enjoyed league success with Los Che in 2001/02 and 2003/04 under the stewardship of Rafael Benitez, making Valencia the only team to disrupt the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid since the turn of the century.