Real Sociedad: who could miss Castellón clash due to Chelsea trip?

CD Castellón will face a Real Sociedad B missing several key players this Friday, August 14th. The reason is unusual: while the B team kicks off LaLiga Hypermotion at 20.30 in Zubieta, the first team plays barely 18 hours later at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, in Pellegrino Matarazzo's final warm-up before the league season starts.

Twelve academy players began preseason with the senior squad. Some have already left—Mikel Rodríguez joined Alavés—while others rotated as needed. The B team's last friendly, a 2-1 defeat to Zaragoza, painted the picture: eight of those twelve were notably absent, still tied to the senior setup.

Álex Marchal, the winger who has started in several serious friendlies and scored in the Cologne game, faces the biggest risk of missing the Castellón match. Gorka Carrera, a striker with four official appearances who netted against Aston Villa, is also at risk, as is Ibai Aguirre, a midfielder with immediate utility due to Gorrotxategi's discomfort. Luken Beitia, a centre-back who started throughout preseason, could also travel if Pacheco fails to recover in time.