Sevilla manager Luis Garcia confirmed on Friday that Ruben Vargas will not travel with the team to face Athletic Bilbao in La Liga Matchday 2. According to Mundo Deportivo, Vargas is not only dealing with a knee injury but is also on the verge of being sold to Olympiakos.

Luis Garcia said: "No, he won't travel with the team. This is a situation created by the transfer market. They told me he's very close to a move. You can imagine if he travels with us, plays, and then the transfer falls through; or if he gets injured, we lose not just Ruben, but also his replacement. That's what's happening right now."

Luis Garcia also criticized the unusual circumstances at the start of the new La Liga season – with fixtures not scheduled simultaneously and the transfer window still open.

He said: "This is another crazy aspect of Spanish football. One team plays on Thursday, another on Sunday, some players can't play because they might leave... but the thing is, the three points are worth exactly the same, right? Everything is a bit chaotic right now."

Luis Garcia also confirmed that new signing Kochorashvili will travel with the team: "It's great that the club can still welcome some new players, especially in an important position. He will travel with us; I've spoken to him a few times. Normally, he won't play; he hasn't had enough time to be ready. Last week Robbie Ure only trained one day and played half a match. He will travel with us; he'll observe and understand everything, and he's now part of the team."

Sevilla manager Garcia ruled out Alfons Gonzalez being included in the squad for this match, despite the player completing his second training session on Friday after recovering from a muscle injury.

Luis Garcia said: "He won't be in the squad. He's had very little training time and only completed part of today's session. Next week he'll complete a full training cycle. That's good news because he's back as part of the team. Having another player available is fantastic. However, he'll be in the squad next week. I'm very happy for him because missing the entire preseason is not easy."

Regarding the team's transfer plans, Garcia said Sevilla need to strengthen several positions, including the vacancy left by Vargas.

Luis Garcia said: "It's not one position, but several. We'll continue monitoring the market. Unfortunately, we can't pick free agents like some teams can. I've been in different situations, but I'm used to it. When managing in La Liga, I've always had to work with limited resources. That's our current situation – we're a big club, the club with the most titles among those I've managed, but with limited resources. Any reinforcements that can help us improve the squad will be welcome."

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