The Real Zaragoza coach has left nothing to the imagination. Even his doubt on the left flank came with the name of the player who, in principle, will occupy the position. That player is Raúl Pereira, as it should be remembered that Sergio Escudero was suffering from Achilles tendon discomfort and was unable to travel to Barcelona for the match against Europa.
As a result, there are no doubts. There will be no surprises. Unless anything goes wrong, Real Zaragoza will face Tudelano with their second-string side. It could also be a way to bring back players who have yet to find their place.
Hugo Pinilla in the match Real Zaragoza won against Almería last season. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
One name stands out here: striker Joaquín Delgado, who has lost his place in the starting XI. Even so, the coach does not believe the forward is being given a particularly prominent opportunity to prove himself. “I am not going to give any player priority based on interest. The priority is each player’s attitude. I do not care who it is,” the coach began.
However, he went on to discuss the striker who was theoretically Real Zaragoza’s first-choice forward and now has a secondary role. “For Joaquín, in his mindset, goals are important, and when he plays he has the opportunity. Hopefully it will happen soon, but I prioritise other things, and he knows that. Edu is playing more as a striker now because that brought us closer to winning, but sooner rather than later you will see him,” Ibai Gómez explained.
The aforementioned starting XI has been selected to win. And the coach believes the players are capable of doing so against Tudelano, a mid-table team in Group 2 of Segunda RFEF. “We are going to compete very well and we are going to be very good,” he predicted.
ABSENTEES
The coach said that the rest of Real Zaragoza’s squad list has yet to be decided. “We cannot count on Vadillo; everyone else is available. We have to win and we are going to assess things today. We have some doubts; we want to see. We have selected that starting XI because we trust them to get the job done, and those who finish the match will help us do so,” he said. As a result, he still does not know who will be left behind.
He also does not know which reserve-team players he will take with him. In any case, Ibai Gómez appears pleased with those who are pushing for an opportunity. “There are players who I believe can gradually become part of the first-team dynamic. We watch training sessions not only from the reserve team but also from the youth side. When you do not have injuries, you already have enough players to train, but there are good players,” he began.
The list is a long one. “Laken, Ratón, Cantero, Lalo Arantegui [he was involved in preseason], Ignacio, Palacio, Sidney, Berdejo, Lázaro is coming on very strongly…,” the Real Zaragoza coach listed. Now they must be assessed in increasingly demanding conditions. Even so, Ibai Gómez predicted that “a bright future” lies ahead.
