Valencia CF face Girona FC on Saturday with Unai Núñez back in contention and Carlos Corberán already thinking about how much he can ask of him. The defender missed the matches against Elche and Mallorca with injury, but he has now completed training and is available again.
Corberán said Núñez trained fully after also doing a short session the day before, a sign that his return is close even if the coach wants to be careful with the load. With the game coming so quickly after the last one, he said it may be advisable to manage the defender's minutes rather than push him through 90 minutes straight away.
That leaves Valencia weighing a defensive setup that is still taking shape. Pepelu's strong display against Mallorca points to continuity next to César Tárrega, while Eray Cömert remains out. On the right side, Renzo Saravia has gained ground for a starting place after making his debut in Palma when Thierry Rendall was hurt in the opening minutes.
Thierry's injury has created the biggest hole in the side. Corberán said the abductor problem could keep him out for around three weeks, with the absence potentially stretching to four. That would leave Valencia without one of their right-backs for a spell that could cover a large part of the remaining LaLiga season.
The coach made clear that the final lineup would wait until the next day, but his comments pointed to a squad being reshuffled by merit and necessity. He said players do not disappear when they play less, and that selections are based on what each profile can add, whether that means a pure number 6, a pure number 8, a mixed midfielder or Almeida. He also said the team has recently leaned toward pairing a number 6 with a number 8, with one of the two number 8s sometimes used higher up as a number 10.
For Valencia, the immediate issue is simple: Girona arrive at a moment when the back line is short and the right side is unsettled. Núñez's return gives Corberán another option, but Thierry's absence and the need to ration minutes mean the coach still has decisions to make before Saturday's kickoff.