Aubameyang limited to 20 minutes by a virus as Mella starts

Aubameyang was unable to start and only played 20 minutes because of a virus, according to MARCA. The team’s top scorer didn’t make it in time, forcing coach Antonio Hidalgo to reshuffle his lineup.

Forced changes for the start

In his place, Mella got his first Liga start, delivering a strong display and constantly looking to attack the space behind Fran García.

MARCA explains that several players in the squad had been dealing with viral issues during the week, and that affected Aubameyang directly. The plan was for the 7 to begin the match, but he couldn’t last.

Casadó injured early

The other blow came in the first half: Marc Casadó was taken off after about half an hour after feeling pain in his shoulder in a collision with Fornals. MARCA describes him showing clear signs of injury and calling for an immediate substitution.

Villares came on as the replacement. MARCA also notes that Aubameyang watched as Villares scored a big goal that leveled the match.

After the game, Antonio Hidalgo admitted that the injury looked serious, saying it “has a bad look”, as reported by MARCA in his post-match comments.