Tenerife manager Alvaro Cervera says that goalkeeper Jesus Owono's 12-match ban "might feel light" but he accepts that the regulations do not "specifically account for what happened".

FC Andorra's Owono, 25, was sent off after colliding with Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel during the closing stages of the Spanish second-tier match between their two respective sides on 2 November.

De Miguel died the following day aged 30, and a disciplinary committee from the Spanish football federation confirmed Owono's suspension on Friday.

It was the maximum punishment that he could have received as the disciplinary committee could only consider the offence on the pitch and not "the tragic outcome of the incident".

"I think that, just as in other areas of life, there are rules or laws that must be followed," said Cervera, speaking before his club's fixture against Ceuta on Sunday - their first match since De Miguel's death.

"Since the current regulations don't specifically account for what happened, I believe they have simply adhered to the rules and imposed the number of matches permitted by the regulations.

"Anything else I might say would just be my own personal opinion, which I'll keep to myself. It might seem a bit light when compared to other cases, but in reality, I don't think the rules allow for anything else."

The disciplinary committee also said it had to base its decision "on the facts expressly recorded in the referee's report", which stated the player "was sent off for 'violently striking an opponent in the chest with his leg, using excessive force, while the ball was in play'".

Cervera, 61, also described the experience of returning to training and preparing for their next match as "tough" and "complicated".

"When we're together, we're fine, during our sessions, we're doing well," he said.

"It feels like the group is gradually getting back to normal. What we don't know is how everyone is doing when we're apart and that's a significant factor.

"Everyone has their own way of coping and their own thoughts; some have people at home to support them, while others are more on their own.

"We're making progress, a very slow process, but we are moving forward - it's tough, it's complicated."

He also said that he was not sure whether his players were ready to return to playing, describing how some would appreciate a distraction and others will not be in the right frame of mind yet.

"Both positions are reasonable," Cervera added.

"On one hand, you want to return to some sense of normality though you know that true normality isn't something you'll find right now.

"This isn't something you can just set aside or push to the back of your mind to focus on your own work; it's not like other life events you might encounter. It's always there, constantly on your mind, yet we have to keep going."