Míchel Sánchez, hospitalized due to a health problem

GIRONAGirona manager Míchel Sánchez has been hospitalized due to a health issue and is under medical observation as a precaution, the Catalan club announced in a statement on Friday.

The statement states that the coach is progressing "favorably" and is receiving appropriate care, and that he is confident he will recover "in the coming days." It also clarifies that assistant coach Salva Fúnez will be in charge of the match against Montilivi. Míchel subsequently posted a message on social media explaining that he will be hospitalized for a few days for observation due to a "health setback," but that he is "fine" and that "from now on," he is counting the days to "continue fighting for the remainder of the season." "I am sure that this group, despite my absence, will give everything, as always, so that our fans can feel proud of the club and the values it represents," the Atlético manager added.

Speaking to the media, Fúnez expanded on the information: "Míchel is fine. I've spoken to him personally. If he can't be here, it's due to protocol. We're all calm and we've told the players to stay calm too. They're the ones playing, and the idea is the same." The Girona manager was admitted on Thursday, and the expectation is that, if his progress in the next few hours is positive, he will be discharged on Monday, hours before the Rojiblanco team's trip to Valladolid, where they play on Tuesday. The club hasn't even ruled out the possibility of Míchel being part of the expedition and returning to his job.

However, the Madrid native won't be disconnected for a second, as Fúnez has confessed. "I'll go see him at the hospital beforehand to finish preparing for the match and have the details clear depending on how the match goes, that's all. We're giving him the normality we can; there's nothing that can change the communication of a normal match. He'll be watching on television and can call work or whoever he wants." This isn't the first time Míchel has missed a match, having been sent off several times, but it will be the first time he's not physically with the team.

For the match against Villarreal, Girona will be without Miguel Gutiérrez, Van de Beek, Misehouy, and the well-known Bryan Gil. They will also have to be careful with those on suspension, who could miss the important match in Valladolid, where they look to have a better chance of scoring points than Saturday, as the Yellows are playing for a place in the Champions League, while the Castilians were relegated to the Second Division weeks ago. Those under threat are Gazzaniga, David López, Krejci, Yangel Herrera, and Portu. Furthermore, there could be rotations, given the overexertion on Monday.

Girona heads into the final four La Liga matches with a six-point cushion over relegation. Depending on the combination of results, they could virtually seal their survival that very weekend. For that to happen, they need a win against Villarreal, a loss against Rayo Vallecano by Las Palmas, and a failure by Leganés to beat Espanyol.