Espanyol will be without experienced defender Leandro Cabrera for Saturday’s meeting with Real Madrid after he began serving a deferred three-match suspension from last season.
The Uruguay international’s absence is a significant setback for Espanyol, who confirmed that the punishment relates to an incident in their match against Getafe last season. According to the referee’s report, Cabrera struck a video assistant referee (VAR) monitor after the final whistle.
Cabrera was initially suspended for three matches as a result of the incident, but the sanction had not yet been enforced. Espanyol appealed against the decision and continued their efforts to delay its implementation until the final stages of the process.
However, the club’s appeal did not alter the ruling. Cabrera therefore missed Espanyol’s most recent game against Levante and, barring an unexpected development, will also be unavailable for the visit of Real Madrid on Saturday.
His omission from the Levante match had caused some confusion. Cabrera had appeared on Espanyol’s morning squad list, only to be removed from the starting line-up shortly before kick-off. There had been no previous indication that the defender was carrying an injury.
Espanyol nevertheless secured their first victory in La Liga against Levante. The result came with Cabrera watching from the sidelines as coach Manolo selected Riedl and Unai Nunez at the centre of defence.
The pair produced a solid performance, helped by the fact that Levante’s attack failed to create any serious danger in front of Espanyol goalkeeper Dmitrovic. Their next defensive examination, however, will be considerably more demanding against a Real Madrid side led by the attacking threat of Kylian Mbappe.
Cabrera’s absence is particularly important because of the role he plays within Espanyol’s defence. The Uruguay defender is one of the team’s most experienced players and has faced a number of leading sides during his career.
Although Riedl and Unai Nunez coped effectively against Levante, Real Madrid will present a much stronger test. Espanyol must now prepare for the match without one of their most familiar defensive figures, while Real Madrid have been handed an advantage before the game has even begun.
The suspension means Cabrera will serve the next part of his three-match punishment despite Espanyol’s attempts to postpone it. His absence against Levante contributed to the uncertainty before that fixture, but the club’s explanation has now clarified why he was withdrawn from consideration shortly before kick-off.
For Espanyol, the immediate priority is to reproduce the organisation shown in their first league win without Cabrera. Against Real Madrid, though, that performance will need to withstand far greater pressure, with Mbappe leading the visitors’ attack and the Madrid side providing a substantially more difficult challenge than Levante.
