After two and a half days of rest, Real Zaragoza will begin preparing this afternoon for their clash against Sporting de Gijón, with close attention on the fitness of Martín Aguirregabiria, who missed the Valladolid match due to a mild knee sprain; Jawad El Yamiq, nursing a bruised calf from a stamp; and Insua, dealing with muscular overload. Francho is ruled out after a heavy blow to his already troubled knee, alongside Pomares (suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card) and Soberón, who was sent off.
Monitoring their progress throughout the week, all signs point to David Navarro being able to call upon Aguirregabiria and Insua, while El Yamiq remains a serious doubt. This situation opens the door for youth prospect Gomes to earn another opportunity. The teenager replaced the Moroccan international in the second half against Valladolid and, despite a decent overall performance, made a costly mistake that led to the home side’s second goal at Nuevo José Zorrilla.
Meanwhile, Saidu and Tasende are set to return after serving their respective suspensions—Saidu for accumulating yellow cards and Tasende for the red card he received against Huesca, as handed down by the Spanish Federation’s Disciplinary Committee.