Racing Santander are preparing with a full squad to host Valencia CF this Sunday at El Sardinero. Manager José Alberto led an evening training session at Santi Gutiérrez Calle with only two players missing due to international duty.
Striker M. Zabiri, the team's top scorer with six goals in seven appearances, and midfielder Pablo García were absent. Zabiri is returning from duty with the Morocco national team, while García is back from the Spain Under-21s. Both are expected for Saturday's session, leaving José Alberto with all his options for the eighth matchday clash.
Racing, sitting 16th in the table with seven points, are looking to react after two consecutive defeats, including a heavy loss to Celta. Valencia, who are 19th, arrive under the guidance of Javier Aguirre, who will make his El Sardinero debut as the Che manager. Valencia full-back José Luis Gayà commented on the new coach: "Aguirre is a very demanding manager with experience in LALIGA. I am convinced we will overcome this situation."
The visiting club has set a price of 30 euros for their fans' tickets, which are personal, non-transferable and require ID for entry. The match, scheduled for Sunday 11 October at 21:00, is a direct clash in the lower part of the standings. Racing supporters can check the full season schedule on our fixtures page.
Among the subplots, goalkeeper Agirrezabala and players Almeida and Sergio Canales have past connections to Valencia. José Alberto's team will aim to use home advantage to secure three key points against a direct rival.
The original report is at realracingclub.es
