Oyarzabal headlines Real Sociedad squad for Chelsea friendly, Guedes absent and no signings | OneFootball

Pellegrino Matarazzo has no new signings, but Mikel Oyarzabal headlines Real Sociedad's 24-man squad for Saturday's 15:00 friendly at Stamford Bridge, with Guedes out.

According to Diario Vasco, the world champion and club captain has had only four sessions after a three-week break and is unlikely to start, but it is a positive sign for the opener against Betis at La Cartuja on Friday 21. A Chelsea in transition, of former Real man Xabi Alonso and 10th in the Premier League last season, will be a stern final pre-season test.

Goti and Marín return from injury, while the absentees include Pacheco with ongoing muscle problems, Gorrotxategi who is not yet ready, Javi López who is joining Feyenoord on loan, and Karrikaburu, who is not in Matarazzo's plans.

Five Sanse players step up instead, so Folgado, Beitia, Lebarbier, Marchal and Ochieng will miss the B team's meeting with Castellón on Friday, with Ochieng still without a squad number for the reserves.

The main concern sits at centre-back. The push to recruit a left-footed defender remains unresolved and the failed move for Nayef Aguerd, who did not pass his medical, will not speed things up.

With Pacheco still out, Matarazzo has only Jon Martín, Zubeldia and the youngster Beitia available.

Separately, Matarazzo has left out three Sanse players he had been working with, Aguirre, Carrera and Aguirre, who trained on Friday in Zubieta. This should, in principle, prevent them from featuring in Sanse's Liga Hypermotion opener against Castellón in Zubieta that day.

Source: Diario Vasco

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