Córdoba’s 2-1 victory over Castellón last Saturday came at a cost, with Théo Zidane receiving his fifth yellow card of the season. As a result, the midfielder will serve a one-match suspension and miss the upcoming clash against Granada on Sunday at 6:30 PM.
The Marseille-born player entered the match already under warning, having accumulated his first four bookings earlier in the campaign. He received his first yellow in the second round against Las Palmas, followed by another in the seventh round against Real B. His third came on March 22 during his return from injury at El Plantío in Burgos. He was then booked again in the 32nd round against Mirandés, putting him on the verge of suspension.
Zidane’s season was interrupted by a surgery in December after a match against Cádiz, keeping him sidelined for nearly three months. So far, he has played 584 minutes in the league. Interestingly, his brother Luca, Granada’s goalkeeper, also recently underwent surgery and will not feature in the match.
Théo’s absence complicates Iván Ania’s midfield options, especially since Isma Ruiz has been unavailable since the April 11 match against Real Zaragoza. The club will monitor Ruiz’s recovery during the week to see if he can return, and if he does, he would start with a clean slate regarding yellow cards, having picked up his fifth on the day he was injured.
With Théo Zidane’s suspension, Córdoba still has Carracedo and Álex Martín walking the suspension tightrope. The latter, a central defender from Gran Canaria, has gone 19 league matches without a yellow card that would trigger a ban, though he was not included in the lineup against Mirandés due to a tactical decision. This caution is even more notable given that Fomeyem has been out injured since November 16.
Two more players have joined the warning list after Saturday’s match at Castalia. Iker Álvarez received his third yellow of the first cycle, putting him at risk of missing one of the final games of the season. Carlos Albarrán has accumulated three yellows in his second cycle, the same count as Dani Requena.
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Card accumulation is not typically a major concern for Ania when planning matches, especially during the final stretch of the season.