Eibar Sweat Over Defensive Injuries Ahead of Cádiz Home Clash
Eibar face Cádiz at Ipurua on Sunday but head into the game with real concerns over the fitness of key defensive players.
Eibar are desperate to keep their home fortress intact at Ipurua this Sunday — but manager San José is doing some serious squad juggling ahead of Cádiz’s visit, with injury worries piling up at the back.
The Injury Headache
Wednesday’s training session painted a slightly concerning picture for the armeros. Two notable absentees from the session:
- Marco Moreno — missed training entirely due to a physical issue
- Sergio Álvarez — also absent, and the bigger worry of the two after being forced off during last Saturday’s trip to Riazor
- Corpas — did train but had to cut his session short, which isn’t exactly ideal either
To fill the gaps, San José called upon youngster Iker Zubiria to help make up the numbers, with Oier Llorente also taking part.
The Álvarez Problem
Alvarez is the one keeping the coaching staff up at night. If the Asturian can’t recover in time, San José needs to find a centre-back partner for Olaetxea — who is back in contention after being absent previously, which is at least some good news.
The options in the frame:
- Aleix Garrido and Javi Martínez are both pushing for a spot
- Peru Nolaskoain could be shifted forward positionally — but only if Moreno is fit enough to feature
Worst Case Scenario
If both Álvarez and Moreno are ruled out, things get properly complicated at the back. The likely solutions:
- Jair steps in alongside Nolaskoain as the most straightforward fix
- Alternatively, Arbilla — who San José has recovered for this game — could be moved into the centre of defence, which would then open up a vacancy at left-back
- Álvaro Rodríguez or Arrillaga would likely fill that left-back slot in that scenario
As for Juan Bernat, the former PSG full-back is continuing to build up his fitness and could make the squad list, but chucking him straight into the starting XI feels a touch premature at this stage.
The Bigger Picture
Eibar are in a strong position at home this season and will fancy their chances against a Cádiz side who are going through a rough patch right now. Getting three points on Sunday could be massive in the context of the Segunda División table.
But San José will know that a patched-up backline against any opposition carries risk. How he lines up his defence could well define the outcome of this one.