Madrid, October 8 (Daily Kiran) : After a lengthy international break, Spain’s renowned football league, La Liga, is set to resume on Friday. However, several clubs are worried about their players’ fitness levels, as many have been competing for their national teams over the past three weeks. The risk of injuries and fatigue has increased due to the demanding match schedule.
The upcoming round of La Liga will begin with a match between Malaga and Espanyol. Malaga, returning to the top division, is still in search of its first victory. On a positive note for Espanyol, forward Javi Puado may return from a serious knee injury and could be on the bench.
Barcelona faces its own fitness concerns ahead of a home match against Getafe. Rafinha, linked with the Brazilian team, and Spain’s Eric Garcia returned early from international duty due to fitness issues. Barcelona will make a final decision on their participation before the match.
Goalkeeper Joan Garcia is nearing a comeback from a knee injury that sidelined him from the Spanish team. Meanwhile, coach Hansi Flick must decide whether to include Lamine Yamal in the starting lineup, as the winger participated in all four of Spain’s matches during the break.
According to reports, Real Madrid may have to play their home match against Villarreal without Kylian Mbappé. The French forward withdrew from international duty due to a recurring knee injury. Villarreal won their last two matches before the break, and their players have shown adaptability to coach Inigo Perez’s high-intensity approach.
Atletico Madrid, currently in second place, will play against Alaves, whose coach is former Atletico boss Quique Sanchez Flores. Atletico has concerns regarding the fitness of Alex Grimaldo and Pablo Barrios, while Alaves will rely on forward Lucas Boyé to challenge the visiting team.
On Saturday, Rayo Vallecano will return to Vallecas Stadium after renovations forced them to play their initial home match against Leganés. They will host Athletic Club, which will be without winger Nico Williams due to a muscle injury sustained during international duty with Spain.
Sunday will see Elche, fighting relegation, face Celta Vigo at home. This match is crucial for Elche as they desperately need points to improve their standing in the league. Real Sociedad will also host Deportivo La Coruña, who started strong upon returning to the top division but have struggled in recent weeks, failing to secure a win in their last three matches.
Third-placed Real Betis will kick off a challenging month of domestic and Champions League matches against Osasuna. The Sunday fixtures will conclude at ‘El Sardinero,’ where Javier Aguirre will coach Valencia for the first time against Racing Santander.
Aguirre has had nearly three weeks to work with his new team but is concerned about injuries to Arnott Danjuma, Umar Sadiq, Luis Rioja, and Diego Lopez as he aims to build a strong and organized squad. This round will wrap up on Monday with a match between Levante and Sevilla.
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