“We wanted him there, he was working very well, and another injury has come that will make him stop longer,” Girona coach Quique Álvarez said.
Girona winger Jastin faces another spell on the sidelines after suffering a left quadriceps muscle injury, just as he was preparing to return from a separate injury to his right leg, according to the club. The player broke into the first team earlier this season with a goal against Las Palmas in a 5-2 victory during his second start. However, that momentum stalled when he sustained a quadriceps injury in his right leg. Now, after a two-month recovery period, a fresh setback in his left leg has disrupted his progress once again.
Mental Challenge of Recovery for Jastin
Álvarez addressed the mental toll of the recurring injuries during his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s fixture at Montilivi.
🏥 COMUNICAT MÈDIC | Jastin pateix una lesió muscular al quàdriceps de la cama esquerra. La disponibilitat del jugador dependrà de la seva evolució. pic.twitter.com/EbFTkeL1WW
“At a mental level it is difficult for me, but above all for him,” Álvarez said. “I encourage him. We can’t do anything else. These are difficult situations, but a footballer has to overcome it. He has had bad luck with this issue. We hope that with work and adjusting things little by little he can have more continuity and fewer injuries. I hope so. I think that is what Jastin needs to finally explode.”
Squad Absences and International Call-Ups Ahead of Almería
Jastin joins a growing injury list at Montilivi that includes teammates Javi Boñar and Bryan Gil. Compounding the roster strain, defender David López is suspended for Sunday’s match following a red card he received in the 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad B.
Girona will also lose several international players following the weekend fixture. Vanat, Asprilla, and young central defender Holmes Junior will depart to join their respective national teams on Monday. While senior internationals will miss the subsequent visit to Oviedo, the younger central defender faces a month-long absence due to commitments with Spain’s under-17 squad.
“We have improved a bit because we won’t lose seven or eight like in the last break, apart from the fact that this one is a bit shorter,” Álvarez said. “It will come. I am focused on Almería and playing a good game. When the next one arrives and we don’t have the players who leave, we will evaluate it then.”
Reunion with Garcia Pimienta at Montilivi
Sunday’s encounter carries personal significance for the Girona technical staff, as Álvarez prepares to face Almería manager Garcia Pimienta. The match kicks off at 16.15 h at Montilivi.
“I am playing against a great childhood friend,” Álvarez said. “It is always special when you face people you love.”
Assessing the opposition, the coach highlighted Almería’s tactical maturity and recent form. The visitors arrive on a nine-match unbeaten run, which previously featured seven consecutive victories.
“It is a very solid team, as shown by the results it is getting,” Álvarez noted. “It is a team that plays very well, has control of the game, intelligence and players who can hurt you in any play. This makes them very dangerous because they are capable of dominating you in certain moments of the match and when they are in a mid-low block they are a team that defends well and breaks quickly on the counter.”
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