A crucial month for new former Espanyol manager Eder Sarabia

Eder Sarabia begins his Espanyol tenure this week with a media presentation tomorrow and his first match Saturday against Deportivo, though he'll miss it due to a one-game ban.

Eder Sarabia has taken charge of Espanyol, conducting his first training session yesterday and facing the media tomorrow to outline his project alongside sporting director Monchi. The Basque coach will miss Saturday's home match against Deportivo due to a suspension, with his assistant Jon López expected to oversee the game at RCDE Stadium (16:15).

Sarabia's competitive debut comes on 20 November at Athletic Bilbao after the international break. The new manager faces a crucial month with four key fixtures through 6 December that could define Espanyol's trajectory before the winter break. After Deportivo, Espanyol visit Athletic, then host Getafe on 28/29 November, and finish the run at Alavés on 5/6 December. All four opponents are in or near the relegation battle.

The challenge is immediate: Espanyol must build on recent form shown at Villarreal, establish Sarabia's playing philosophy quickly, and create distance from the drop zone before the Christmas pause. The previous manager Manolo González was sacked after a poor run that included an early Copa exit.