Espanyol Faces Challenge with Cabrera Suspension Before Real Madrid Match

Espanyol’s preparations for Real Madrid have been hit hard. Their defensive leader will not be there.

Leandro Cabrera, one of the pillars of the back line, is sidelined by a deferred suspension carried over from last season and will miss next Saturday’s clash with Los Blancos.

The club confirmed that the Uruguayan has now begun serving the three-game ban handed down for his outburst after last season’s match against Getafe. According to the referee’s report, Cabrera struck the VAR screen at the end of that game, an act that drew a heavy sanction and a long wait for its full impact to be felt.

That impact arrived abruptly.

His absence from the recent match against Levante raised eyebrows inside and outside the club. Cabrera’s name appeared on the squad list in the morning, only for him to disappear from the starting XI just minutes before kick-off, with no mention of any physical problem. Confusion in the stands, questions in the press box – and then the picture became clear: the suspension had finally kicked in.

Espanyol pushed the case to the limit. The club appealed the punishment right up to the final moments in the hope of postponing its enforcement, but the effort fell flat. The decision stood. Cabrera sat out the Levante game, which still brought Espanyol their first win of the La Liga season, and, barring a dramatic twist, he will also be unavailable for the visit of Real Madrid.

Coach's Strategy

On the pitch, coach Manolo turned to Riedel alongside Unai Nunez at centre-back against Levante. The makeshift pairing held firm. Levante’s attack barely laid a glove on Dmitrovic’s goal, allowing Espanyol to manage the game without being truly stretched at the back.

That luxury will not exist against Real Madrid.

Where Levante offered sporadic danger, Madrid bring a constant threat, led by Kylian Mbappe and backed by a cast that punishes the slightest lapse. Cabrera’s absence looms large in that context. He is not just another defender; he is one of the most seasoned figures in Espanyol’s rearguard, with a long list of battles against Spain’s elite behind him.

Now Espanyol must face one of the most explosive attacks in Europe without their main enforcer, trusting a reshaped defence to hold the line when Mbappe and company arrive.