Espanyol recovers its great captain

Espanyol captain Javi Puado returns to squad after serious injury sustained on 11 January; available for Friday's trip to Málaga.

Espanyol captain Javi Puado has been cleared to rejoin the squad for Friday's away match at Málaga (21:00) after recovering from a serious injury suffered on 11 January at Ciutat de València. Manager Manolo González confirmed Puado has been training normally for two weeks and will decide on his involvement based on the player's own assessment of his readiness. Midfielder Jofre Carreras remains unavailable with a pubic issue, while forward Kike García is not expected back until December following August surgery on his right hamstring.