Deportivo Alaves face the return of club football with a significant defensive absence. Key defender Ville Koski suffered a muscular injury to his right quadriceps while on international duty with Finland and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.
The player will return to Vitoria-Gasteiz in the coming hours for definitive medical tests to determine the exact extent of the injury. The club has not given an official timeframe, but the Finnish international is anticipated to miss multiple weeks of action. Koski had become a fundamental piece in Quique Sánchez Flores's setup, playing 620 minutes in the first seven league matches and ranking as the second player in the league for clearances made.
Options to cover the absence
The absence of Koski, combined with the long-term injury to Facundo Garcés, forces the manager to reshuffle his backline. Nicolás Valentini, who started the last match against Athletic Club at San Mamés, is the leading candidate to fill the position. The Argentine delivered a notably good performance in Bilbao, earning the coaching staff's trust. "A period he has already completed and now, after Koski's injury, he has an opportunity to step forward," said Quique Sánchez Flores about Valentini.
Another option the manager is considering is academy product Xanet Oláiz. The 21-year-old, who has played just ten minutes this season, showed promising signs during pre-season. A tactical shift from a 5-3-2 to a 4-4-2 formation is also on the table, as is moving Benavídez back to centre-back, a solution both Eduardo Coudet and Quique himself used last season.
Context for a solid team
The setback comes at a delicate time, just before hosting second-placed Atlético Madrid this Saturday at 16:15 at Mendizorroza. Alaves sit sixth in La Liga with 11 points, the product of a solid start to the season in which they have conceded only six goals, the same as Athletic and Celta. The team is on a run of two consecutive league wins, having beaten Villarreal and Osasuna, and will look to continue that positive momentum despite the setback. Sánchez Flores emphasised the need for adaptation from his defenders: "If you have to hold the line, if you have to track runners, if you have to step up, if you have to shift, if you have to step into midfield... He has to adapt." The team's next fixture, against Atlético, is listed on our fixtures calendar.
More detail at noticiasdealava.eus
