Valencia Faces Challenges Ahead of Real Madrid Match

omidbasir- On Sunday afternoon, Valencia convened in a hotel near Mestalla in preparation for their upcoming match against Real Madrid, as has become customary. However, a notable absence in the squad list raised concerns for coach Carlos Corberán. Dimitri Foulquier, the team’s right-back who had been a regular starter since Thierry’s injury, was ultimately omitted from the squad. Foulquier has been struggling with knee discomfort in recent matches and was unable to complete Saturday’s training session, which had begun with individualized treatment. After discussions with the medical staff and considering the player’s own feelings, Corberán had no choice but to exclude him from the lineup.

The situation is compounded by the lack of viable alternatives for the right-back position. Rubo Iranzo, who did not participate in the match against Athletic, sustained a sprain to his medial collateral ligament during Friday’s training and will be sidelined for some time. Additionally, Thierry Rendall has been included in the roster, but starting him would be risky, given that this is the first week he has resumed training with the team after a muscle injury to his left hamstring nearly a month ago.

This predicament may lead Coach Carlos Corberán to consider a shift in his starting formation to include three central defenders, potentially allowing for the debut of Unai Núñez, who was loaned from Celta during the winter transfer market. The Portuguese central defender could function in a hybrid role as a third center-back during defensive phases while overlapping into a lateral position when attacking. Another option could be César Tárrega, although he has also been experiencing knee issues since December, following a sprain to his left knee’s collateral ligament sustained against Getafe. This tactical approach is not unprecedented for Corberán when facing Real Madrid, as he previously deployed Foulquier in a similar dual role.

As a result, Valencia’s starting eleven could feature: Dimitrievski; Rioja, Unai Núñez or Tárrega, Comert, Copete, Gayá; Pepelu, Ugrinic; Beltrán, Danjuma; and Hugo Duro. Alternatively, it might be sensible to incorporate a third midfielder—either Guido or Guerra—at the expense of a wing attacker, such as Danjuma.

Another noteworthy aspect of Valencia’s squad announcement is the absence of technical discards, unlike in the last two matches where Raba and Santamaría were excluded.

**Goalkeepers:** Dimitrievski, Rivero
**Defenders:** Copete, Cömert, Tárrega, Unai Núñez, Thierry, Gayà, Jesús Vázquez
**Midfielders:** Rioja, Javi Guerra, Santamaría, Pepelu, Ugrinic, Almeida, Guido Rodríguez
**Forwards:** Ramazani, Raba, Beltrán, Diego López, Danjuma, Hugo Duro, Sadiq
**From the B Team:** Vicent Abril (goalkeeper)