Strasbourg without Valentin Barco at Rayo Vallecano, Guéla Doué remains a doubt | OneFootball

Strasbourg will be without Valentin Barco for Thursday’s Europa Conference League semi-final first leg at Rayo Vallecano at 21:00, while Guéla Doué is not certain to feature.

According to L'Équipe, the squad will train one last time on Wednesday from 11:15 at the Racing Soprema Parc, then fly to Madrid early afternoon. Gary O’Neil and Julio Enciso will visit Vallecas for the eve-of-match press conference at 19:15.

Barco was cautioned, then injured in his right ankle, during the quarter-final second leg against Mainz on 16 April, a 4-0 win after a 0-3 first-leg loss. The Argentina international, with two caps and one goal, has missed three matches since and would have been suspended for this first leg anyway.

Doubt also remains over Doué. The Alsatian right-back returned to training at the start of the week but is only just recovering from a virus contracted before the Mainz home game. O’Neil has stressed they will not take any risks and that health comes before football. The Ivory Coast international has 19 caps and two goals.

A total of 745 Strasbourg supporters will make the trip to the Spanish capital, amounting to five per cent of Vallecas capacity. Back in Strasbourg, fans can watch in the Meinau stadium fan zone on a giant screen measuring seven metres by four, with entry priced at five euros including a drink.

Source: L'Équipe