Celta Vigo have called up young defender Quique Ribes for their La Liga match against Athletic Club this Sunday. Manager Claudio Giráldez made the decision following the suspension of Marcos Alonso and the ongoing injury to Borja Iglesias.
The game will be played at Balaídos starting at 9:00 PM. The sky-blue team is searching for its first win of the 2026-27 season after drawing with Valencia and losing at home to Osasuna this past Thursday. Ribes' call-up from the reserve team Fortuna is the main news.
Claudio Giráldez explained the reasons for including Quique Ribes over another centre-back like Anxo Rodríguez. "We believe Quique can help us more in the box in those moments than Anxo," the manager said. He added that the call-up also serves as a reward for the player's effort after overcoming a serious injury last season.
Giráldez highlighted the Valencian defender's strong performances at the end of the previous campaign and his start to this one. "It's a message for the Fortuna players that performance in matches is important to be with the first team," he stated. Ribes, who wears the number 27 shirt, could make his official matchday squad debut.
The team faces the match with several significant absences. The most recent is Marcos Alonso, sent off in the game against Osasuna after a challenge on Iker Muñoz that was reviewed by VAR. He will serve his suspension this Sunday.
Meanwhile, Borja Iglesias continues to recover from a minor myofascial tear in the soleus muscle of his left leg. The striker, who was recently warmly received at Balaídos after winning the World Cup with Spain, is progressing well. He is expected to be ready by mid-September, according to the medical report available on our injuries page.
Winger Couhaib Driouech, who arrived this summer from PSV, is also unavailable. Giráldez believes the player needs more training sessions to reach full physical and tactical readiness. His inclusion in matchday squads is anticipated for the next game at Anoeta.
The squad for the Athletic Club match includes 21 players. In goal will be Andrei Radu, Altay Bayindir and Iván Villar. The defence consists of Sergio Carreira, Javi Rueda, Álvaro Núñez, Javi Galán, Javi Rodríguez, the aforementioned Quique Ribes, Carl Starfelt, Yoel Lago and Abdoulaye Faye.
The midfield features Ilaix Moriba, Aleix Febas, Miguel Román, Hugo Burcio and Andrés Antañón. The forward line is made up of Iago Aspas, Hugo González, Ferran Jutglà, Williot Swedberg, Hugo Álvarez, Jones El-Abdellaoui and Pablo Durán.
Celta currently sits in fourteenth place in the La Liga standings with one point after two matchdays. Giráldez's team needs to start picking up three points to climb the table soon. The fixtures schedule shows that after Athletic, the team will visit Real Sociedad at Anoeta.
The inclusion of Quique Ribes shows the club's commitment to its youth academy in times of need. His presence on the bench this Sunday represents an opportunity for a player who has worked hard to return from a complex injury. The first team's performances in the coming weeks will be key in defining the initial direction of the season.
