Sevilla sweat on Kochorashvili fitness ahead of Real Madrid trip

Giorgi Kochorashvili is a major doubt for Sevilla FC ahead of Sunday's trip to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. The Georgian midfielder has not trained with the group all week due to muscular overload.

"He has not been able to train and tomorrow he will test, he could start, be on the bench or not even be in the squad," García Plaza said about Kochorashvili's condition. The player, who featured in all four of Georgia's matches during the recent international break, has been doing individual work at the training ground. The plan is for him to rejoin collective training on Friday for a final assessment ahead of Saturday's last session.

Severe midfield crisis

The potential absence of Kochorashvili worsens an already critical situation in Sevilla's midfield. Jon Guridi is out with a long-term adductor injury, while Miguel Sierra has a right shoulder dislocation requiring surgery and is not expected back until after Christmas. Lucas Stassin is recovering from an adductor issue and has returned to group training, but his availability is not certain.

With Iker Muñoz also not training with the group, the only pure central midfielders available are the French duo Lucien Agoumé and Youssouf Fofana. This shortage forces García Plaza to consider alternative solutions, such as promoting youth players. Jesús Cruz and Nico Guillén, who took part in training, are options for the squad, alongside other youngsters like Mario Díaz or Jorge Moreno. Another possibility would be to deploy an attacking midfielder, such as 'Peque', to provide defensive support.

Context of a historic challenge

Sevilla approach this fixture in a solid position, fifth in La Liga with 14 points from eight games. However, the trip to the Bernabéu represents a historic challenge, as the team has not won there for nearly twenty years. García Plaza has acknowledged the difficulty, stating that Real Madrid "is a team that gave fear".

The team arrives following a 3-3 draw against Levante on 12 October, a match in which Isaac Romero, now suspended due to a red card, scored in the 95th minute. That result left Sevilla with a run of two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five outings. The next match, against the fourth-placed side, is key to maintaining their pace in the upper reaches of the standings. Defender Fabio Cardoso could be recalled to the squad due to the numerous absences.

The report in full is at Mundo Deportivo