Las Palmas on alert: defense with only three central options

Las Palmas face Eibar with a serious defensive issue. As MARCA reports, Rubén de la Barrera only has three defenders available for the back positions: Pezzolesi, Bonfanti and Andrés, while he is hoping Álex Suárez can make the squad after the final stretch of his recovery.

Forced changes at the back

The situation gets worse with several injuries. Enrique Clemente has a knee problem and is expected to miss around a month and a half (with the player ultimately avoiding surgery). MARCA also lists Marvin, Viti and Opoku as absent, with Opoku yet to make his debut. To make matters tougher, Herzog is away with Spain’s Under-21s.

In the middle of the defense, the coach is trying to find solutions with what’s available. MARCA notes that this week De la Barrera has been testing Bonfanti and Andrés as the starting pairing.

Left-back problem too

The alarm doesn’t stop at the center. After the departures of Mika Mármol and Barcia, Las Palmas lost two profiles in the middle of the back line, and the club didn’t replace them with fast, athletic center-backs. That gap was exposed against Burgos, where the opponent found space behind the defense for both goals.

There’s also no natural left-back after the exits of Christian and Villote. Clemente had been covering there, but his injury leaves the team without a specific alternative. MARCA says Loiodice will play at left-back again versus Eibar, even though the coach has made it clear it’s not his natural role—just the best fit for what he wants.

Finally, Rachid, from the youth setup, will travel with the squad, though MARCA expects him to start from the bench in a defense clearly built to cope with emergencies.