Málaga CF faces a decisive week of preparation for their upcoming home match against Espanyol after finishing training with seven players absent for load management. The team led by Juanfran Funes held their final session of the week on Friday morning at the Martiricos annex and will not return to work until Monday afternoon.
Seven players were absent from Friday's training as a precautionary measure. They are Juan Cruz, Einar Galilea, Diego Murillo, Jens Cajuste, Adam Aznou, Aaron Ochoa and Julen Lobete. The club has clarified that none are injured, but are instead on a specific load-control programme after a week of intense work. The first two, Cruz and Galilea, began this preventive rest earlier.
Planning for the week
The coaching staff did not grant days off at the start of this match-free break, opting to maintain the work rhythm. However, after the 10:30 session on Friday, the squad will enjoy a full weekend of rest. The players will return to the La Rosaleda grounds on Monday at 18:30, providing a 72-hour recovery window. This margin is key for a team sitting 20th in La Liga with just three points from seven games and looking to turn around a run of five matches without a win.
The immediate focus is the match next Friday, October 9th, against Espanyol. The perico outfit, 15th in the table, will visit La Rosaleda at 21:00. It will be the first of two consecutive home fixtures, as they host Real Sociedad on Sunday the 18th. The squad needs to recover energy and find consistency, as reflected in the team's stats this season, with only three goals scored and twelve conceded. The 1-0 defeat to Getafe last time out increases the urgency to pick up points at home.
Coach Juanfran Funes and his staff have a week ahead to fine-tune details and have as many players as possible at full fitness. The physical recovery of the seven players on the differentiated load plan will be key for the squad selections in the coming fixtures. The club will resume activity on Monday at six thirty in the evening at La Rosaleda, with sights set on the clash against Espanyol.
Background and full detail: Sport.es
