André Almeida ‘free to play’ against Valencia after fear clause left out | OneFootball

André Almeida is eligible to face Valencia after his loan to Racing was agreed without a fear clause, with the match scheduled for Sunday 11 October at 21:00 at Los Campos de Sport de El Sardinero.

Tribuna VCF reports that Valencia did not insert any restriction when completing the deal on the final day of the window. In Spain, such clauses are often enforced via prohibitive fees that deter loanees from playing against their parent clubs.

The decision frees José Alberto López to stick with the midfield used against Celta de Vigo. Iván Martín is expected to hold his place in the double pivot. If Almeida is not picked, first in line is Matteo Prati, who is still adapting, while Maguette is another option.

More remote alternatives include dropping Sergio Canales into the number eight role or turning to captain Íñigo Sainz-Maza.

Almeida remains a Valencia player. At his Racing unveiling he said he had not been happy at Valencia and that his family needed to leave, without explaining why. The loan is simple and he is due back on one July, with a contract to 30 June 2029.

His start in Santander has been rocky, with a red card against Deportivo Alavés, then a difficult first half at Balaídos where two turnovers led to Celta goals. Even so, he is expected to be influential on the ball and could raise Racing’s midfield level.

Source: AS

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”