ANDALUSIAN CLASH IN A MATCH AFFECTED BY COVID

A year and a half after the competition was able to resume after the Covid-19 pandemic, infections are more present than ever, to the point of affecting practically all 20 LaLiga Santander squads on the first matchday of 2022. After reporting up to seven cases since the team's return to training last Tuesday, Sevilla FC have had to work with minimal players ahead of resuming the league campaign this Monday at the Nuevo Mirandilla, against a Cádiz side that also reported five positive players in their squad.

We know nothing about how long the players have been infected, nor their identities, so nothing is certain until the starting eleven and the substitutes who will be waiting for their chance on the bench are announced at around eight o'clock this evening. What is confirmed, however, is that Frenchman Jules Koundé will not be one of them as he is suspended following his sending off against FC Barcelona. The team travelled to Cádiz on Sunday afternoon. Last year's encounter was played without a crowd as the team secured a 3-1 win. On this occasion there will be no Sevilla fans in the stands either, after the away section was closed due to a 75% reduction in seating capacity.

Koundé is the only player we know for certain who is out

Nor are Álvaro Cervera's squad, who picked up a point at the Santiago Bernabéu just before the break, spared from infections. They are also missing the suspended Juan Cala and the injured Garrido, José Mari, Choco Lozano, Salvi and Arzamendía. Cádiz have been worst team at home so far this season, having drawn five and lost four of their nine games, scoring six goals and conceding 14. However, teams such as FC Barcelona and Valencia CF have already experienced what it is to drop points there this season.

Even the appointment of referees has been influenced by COVID, after the positive result of Guillermo Cuadra Fernández, a Madrid-born referee from the Balearic Islands, who has had to make way for Javier Alberola Rojas from La Mancha. With him, we have a record of seven wins, one draw and two defeats. This season, he has already officiated one of the team's only two defeats in LaLiga, the 1-0 loss in Granada last October.