Spanish Media: Rioja Doubtful for Barcelona Clash; Valencia Missing Five Injured Players

According to Spanish media outlet Superdeporte, Valencia completed their penultimate training session before facing Barcelona, and Rioja still did not take part in team training.

The team will face the current La Liga leaders Barcelona at Mestalla Stadium. Regarding player availability, Valencia will only confirm tomorrow whether Rioja can make the fourth-round match, but his chances of playing are declining. The left-footed winger missed team training again due to ankle discomfort.

Rioja started last Sunday away against Deportivo La Coruña, with Valencia eventually losing 1-3. Around the one-hour mark of the match, Rioja was replaced by young winger David Otorbi after struggling on the right side. In the following days, Rioja was almost unable to train and has gone three consecutive days without joining his teammates in group sessions.

English player Harvey Elliott, who joined on loan from Liverpool, has trained with his new team for the second consecutive day. Elliott is currently expected to receive playing time, but the club hopes he can gradually improve his physical condition over the coming days and weeks.

If Rioja is unable to play, the most likely player to return to the starting lineup is Pablo Maffeo, who would operate on the right side. If Carlos Corberan continues using a three-center-back system with two wing-backs, Maffeo's chances of starting will increase further.

Maffeo and Dimitri Foulquier also took part in team training. Maffeo completed his second consecutive full group session, while Foulquier's situation needs to be handled cautiously. After being sidelined for several months, the player has not yet returned to a condition where he can compete at full intensity. Returning to training or being included in the squad are the final stages of his recovery process.

Goalkeeper Cain van Oevelen only completed the first half of training with the other goalkeepers. Afterwards, the Dutch goalkeeper left the group session due to a minor ankle sprain and completed the remaining work separately with the physiotherapist.

While waiting for confirmation tomorrow on the recovery situations of Rioja and Van Oevelen, Valencia have already confirmed that injured Guido Rodriguez, Copete, Sadiq, Diego Lopez and De Haas will be unavailable.