Juanfran Torres made his debut yesterday at El Requexón with all its consequences: he first received the relevant slaps in the traditional corridor that is made of the new ones. Overcome the procedure, to sweat. Cervera has him right now and aims to be on the list to play tomorrow against Alavés (9:00 p.m., Let’s go). Consequences of having been the starter for most of the first round in Malaga. David Costas will not have the same luck, who continues to add weight to the injury blacklist this season and will miss at least the next month of competition due to a fibrillar tear.
The Galician continues to go through a season with various physical problems that have not allowed him to enjoy continuity or reach the excellent level of last year, in which he formed, together with Dani Calvo, one of the most solvent defensive pairings in the Second Division.
Costas, who missed the last games of 2022 due to back discomfort, reappeared in the Andorra match to form alongside Calvo. He did not leave the best feelings, actually in the general line of the team, but it was understood as part of his readaptation process to the group.
But his contribution now has an important stop again. Costas suffers a fiber tear in the hamstring area and will be out for at least a month. It could be more depending on the time she spends to recover the proper rhythm of competition.
The loss of the player from Vigo will mean another opportunity for a Rodri Tarín who continues to perform in a very regular way this season. Whenever he has been needed he has offered his best level. Tarín started as the theoretical third center-back before the strength of Calvo and Costas, supported by the couple for their great performance in 2021/22. But the frequent injuries have also affected the rear guard. That is where Tarín has usually put his head in the team, especially due to the absence of Costas, to add minutes in the competition.
In fact, Tarín already accumulates more participation (1,323 minutes) than Costas himself (856) in the League. The Valencian is the fifth player most used by Bolo and Cervera so far in the competition. He is only surpassed by Bastón (1,826 minutes), Lucas (1,810), Calvo (1,374) and Luismi (1,374). Which speaks of his reliability and predisposition whenever it has been necessary to recruit him.
But despite the confidence in his replacement, the absence of Costas is another blow to the confidence of the blues, touched on the issue of injuries, the great enemy they are facing this season. Now that the infirmary seemed to lighten up, with only Mier injured for a long time, and with Borja Sánchez close to rejoining group work, Costas’ broken fibers revive old ghosts and once again alter the plans of a Cervera accustomed to solving obstacles from the start. to assume the blue reins.
Juanfran’s alternatives. With Leo Sequeira integrated into the day-to-day for weeks and helping with minutes in the first two games of the year, now it is Juanfran Moreno who appears as an alternative in the coach’s notebook. Cervera was the great promoter of the signing of the man from Madrid, a winger who will initially compete with Lucas Ahijado for the place on the right wing, but who can offer other records.
Especially as a right winger, the position from which he reached the elite. Even this same season, in the first dates, Juanfran acted as a winger with a more offensive profile with Bustinza guarding his back.
