Luismi Cruz earns starting spot at Deportivo without any fuss

He seems invisible, yet Luismi Cruz has played everything. Without stealing the spotlight, the Cadiz winger has completely turned around his status at Deportivo over these summer months: from being sidelined on the rotation bench just weeks ago to becoming practically a fixture in preseason.

Nothing like his debut twelve months back. Then he arrived as the club's first major signing, a star turn with a message attached. He played 30 games last season and racked up almost 2,500 minutes, but the early spark fizzled out and he never became a central figure in the push for First Division promotion. Altimira's switch to winger, the hunt for a right-flank reinforcement, and Asp-Jensen's arrival left him in the shadows. Injuries to Mella, Altimira, and the Dane, plus a special fitness plan for Yeremay and his groin issue, have cleared his path. According to Sport, he looks set to start on league debut against Elche at Riazor, in ten days.

Cruz, contracted until 2029, is determined to make the most of top-flight exposure. His league experience amounts to just two games with Sevilla in 2022. Now, with summer playing into his hands, his roadmap in A Coruña is crystal clear.