Bordalás gains troops for the decisive stretch of the season. And how effective. Thierry Rendall and José Luis Gayà They began to exercise last week with the few teammates present in Paterna and as the 14 internationals that Valencia has scattered around the world return, both full-backs will enter fully into group dynamics. With them Bordalás recovers depth and impact in offensive actions, after all Thierry and Gayà, according to data from Olicipare the two Valencia footballers with the most value in passes to the hole and centers to the area.
Gayà is complying to the millimeter with the expected deadlines for his muscle injury. The captain set himself the goal of reaching one hundred percent for the final at La Cartuja on April 23 and to do so he must regain competition rhythm in the next stakes that the team has (Cádiz, Rayo, Osasuna and Villarreal before the final against Betis). Thierry, for his part, is also in the last phase of recovery from the medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee that he suffered in training on February 19.
At the return of Thierry and Gayà must be added that of Gabriel Paulista. The center-back was not called up in the last game against Elche due to slight discomfort. “In the last game he had discomfort in the hamstrings of the leg that he had not had the injury,” Bordalás stressed in the press room. “We are taking care of it,” he said. The coaching staff, logically, does not lose sight of the La Cartuja final as far as the injury recovery plan is concerned: “He is far away, but he is taken into account”. Hence, the risks of relapse will be “limited”.
Objective: to have the theoretical starting defense in La Cartuja
Bordalás’ objective is none other than to have at his disposal on April 23 in particular and in the final stretch of the League in general his theoretical starting defensive line: Correia, Alderete, Gabriel and Gayà. Due to circumstances, the man from Alicante has only been able to field them in four games and Valencia did not lose any of them. It was in the duels at the beginning of the season against Getafe, Granada, Alavés and Osasuna. The last match in which the name of the four was included in a technical file was in the victory against Villarreal in Mestalla (2-0), although, then, Correia appeared in the second half, when Gabriel Paulista had already retired injured.