Left-back is a mystery at UD Las Palmas | OneFootball

Rubén de la Barrera has had to use as many as 5 full-backs since the start of pre-season: Clemente, Cristian, Villote, Loiodice and Bonfanti

The left-back question: Las Palmas runs out of solutions

The situation at left-back for UD Las Palmas has become one of the main headaches for the coaching staff. Squad planning has left the team with few natural alternatives in a position that, at this stage of the season, has been hit by injuries, loans and transfer-market decisions.

Enrique Clemente’s injury has made the problem even worse. The defender will have to undergo surgery and will be sidelined for around a month and a half, leaving the team without one of the players who could fill that role. His absence forces the team to look for alternative solutions over the coming matchdays.

The problem is that Las Palmas had already reduced its options in that position during the transfer window. Víctor Villote, who had completed pre-season with the first team and could have served as an option from the reserve side, went out on loan to Nàstic de Tarragona. A decision that takes on special importance in the current situation. Added to that is the loan move of Cristian Gutiérrez to Cádiz, who had started as the backup left-back and was a natural option to provide rest or cover any absence.

With Clemente injured and the other two options out of the team, the coaching staff has had to turn to players who are not left-backs. Bonfanti, a center-back by trade, has already had to play there at certain times. An emergency solution that helps cover the need, but one that changes the team’s characteristics and forces the player to adapt to a different role.

The situation was exposed even more against Burgos. Enzo Loiodice, a midfielder, ended up playing at left-back, while Andrés Rodríguez, one of the recent signings and the only available defender who could play at left-back, remained on the bench.

Beyond a one-off decision, the situation opens up a debate about squad planning. Las Palmas now faces several matchdays with Clemente out of action and without two of the natural alternatives that were available at the start of the season. The coaching staff will have to find a temporary solution and decide whether to adapt another player, give Andrés Rodríguez a bigger role, or look for an alternative in the reserve team.

What seemed like a covered position at the start of the campaign has, in just a few weeks, become one of the team’s main problems.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.