Hugo González: Celta’s preseason star, still waiting for minutes

Celta’s early season has a standout surprise: Hugo González, the player who hit the most goals in pre-season, has still not played a single minute in the first two league matchdays, according to MARCA.

From preseason to the bench

Under Claudio Giráldez, the team has looked sharp at times going forward, yet the coach has not given González his debut so far. The article notes that Giráldez promoted the forward because he has been confident in him from the start, even if the striker still has areas to polish to be fully competitive in LaLiga.

With Borja Iglesias sidelined by injury, Couhaib Driouech arriving recently, and Carles Pérez being available for a move, Giráldez used six other attacking options. In those two opening games, most of the forwards either started in one of the matches or appeared from the bench, while González remains the only fit forward without minutes.

Rotations coming

As MARCA explains, Giráldez will have nine players available for the three most advanced roles across the season, which points to increasing rotation up front. That setup suggests González will get his chances soon.

The paper even expects that he could play this Sunday against Athletic, moving him out of the current “testimonial” role and back toward the form that made him the preseason sensation.