He's building around them, not around flexibility
Five matches into his tenure at Sporting de Gijón, manager Borja Jiménez has quietly drawn the boundaries of his footballing vision, concentrating trust in a core of thirteen players while leaving nearly half his squad untouched. His reluctance to rotate freely — making substitutions late, sparingly, and often only under duress — speaks less to caution than to conviction. In the early chapters of a managerial tenure, such clarity of selection is both a statement of intent and an implicit verdict on those left waiting.
- Jiménez has made his preferences unmistakable: three players have not missed a single minute, and his substitution patterns suggest he would rather hold firm than experiment.
- Injuries to Otero, Gaspar, and Kevin have forced his hand at times, but even then he resists using all available changes — a discipline that borders on stubbornness.
- Five players — Christian Joel, Curbelo, Kembo, Bernal, and Dani Queipo — have not seen a single league minute, leaving their futures at the club genuinely uncertain.
- Pablo García and Nacho Martín have emerged as the manager's trusted depth options, absorbing minutes as a bridge between the untouchable starters and the invisible fringe.
- The squad is effectively operating as two separate realities: thirteen men building something together, and ten others watching from a distance that may never close.
Five matches into his time at Sporting, Borja Jiménez has made his footballing priorities visible through selection alone. Of the more than twenty players at his disposal, he has built his team around thirteen, leaving the rest largely untouched — some barely used, others not at all.
At the heart of his system stand Yáñez, Perrin, and Diego, who have played every minute. Just behind them, Guille Rosas and Justin Smith have each accumulated over 440 minutes, while Pablo Vázquez was only withdrawn in the dying seconds of the most recent match. The drop-off in playing time after this group is sharp and telling.
What defines Jiménez's early tenure as much as who he picks is when he acts. His substitutions arrive late — often past the 70th minute — and rarely in full number. Only a red card against Zaragoza forced him into more significant reshuffling. Otherwise, he has preferred to hold his shape and trust his starters to see things through.
Injuries have complicated his defensive planning. Kevin's early exit through injury and suspension opened the door for Pablo García, now the de facto backup with 204 minutes, and Nacho Martín, who has started the last two matches. Up front, the picture is more fragmented: Otero and Gaspar are sidelined, Amadou has become the primary striker option, and Caicedo has managed just eight minutes.
Five players — Christian Joel, Curbelo, Kembo, Bernal, and Dani Queipo — have not featured in a single league minute under Jiménez. Whether they are being held in reserve, deemed ill-suited to his system, or quietly edged toward the exit remains unanswered. With the season still young, the manager's narrow circle of trust raises a question that only time — or the transfer window — will resolve.
Five matches into his tenure at Sporting, Borja Jiménez has drawn a clear line around his roster. Of the 23 players available to him—plus a handful of academy prospects—he has built his team around a core of 13. The rest remain peripheral, some barely tested, others not tested at all.
Three players have seen every minute: Yáñez, Perrin, and Diego form the spine of what Jiménez wants. Just behind them sits Pablo Vázquez, who had played the full 90 until the most recent match, when he was withdrawn in the 89th minute. Guille Rosas has accumulated 445 minutes; Justin Smith, 444. The drop-off is steep after that.
What stands out most is not who plays, but how Jiménez manages the moments when he does make changes. His substitution pattern is sparse and late. Against Racing Santander, he waited until the 78th minute to make his first move—a double change—then added three more in stoppage time. In Valladolid, he made just two substitutions after the 72nd minute. The Zaragoza match forced his hand when Dubasin was sent off early, prompting four changes across the game. Against Las Palmas, he reverted to two substitutions. At Mirandés, he made adjustments at halftime, then held firm until the 79th minute, when Amadou entered, followed by two more late moves.
Injuries have reshaped his defensive options. Kevin played 96 minutes before injury and dismissal ended his availability. Pablo García has become the primary backup, with 204 minutes—the "12th player" in Jiménez's system. Nacho Martín, a starter in the last two matches, has logged 251 minutes. César Gelabert is a fixture in the lineup but has been substituted three times, totaling 384 minutes. Corredera sits at 353, missing one match through suspension.
Up front, the picture is more fragmented. Otero and Gaspar, both sidelined by injury, have managed 230 and 186 minutes respectively. Amadou has become the primary option at striker with 186 minutes, while Caicedo has barely featured with just eight. Cortés and academy product Manu Rodríguez have each played one full match. Loum has seen only seven minutes. Christian Joel, Curbelo, Kembo, Bernal, and Dani Queipo have not appeared in a single league minute under Jiménez.
This concentration of trust in a small group reflects either confidence in those 13 or uncertainty about the rest. The unused players represent a puzzle: are they being preserved for future use, deemed unsuitable for the manager's system, or simply waiting for injuries to create an opening? With five matches played and the season still young, Jiménez's reluctance to rotate widely suggests he knows exactly which players he wants to build around—and which ones may have no future in his plans.
Notable Quotes
The unused players represent a puzzle: are they being preserved for future use, deemed unsuitable for the manager's system, or simply waiting for injuries to create an opening?— Implicit in Jiménez's selection patterns
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a manager wait until the 78th minute to make his first substitution? That seems almost stubborn.
It's not stubbornness exactly. It's a statement. Jiménez is saying: I know what I want, and I'm going to see it through. He's not tinkering. He's testing.
But doesn't that limit his options if something goes wrong early?
It does. But look at his core three—Yáñez, Perrin, Diego. They've played every minute. He's building around them, not around flexibility. The injuries forced some rotation, but you can see he's uncomfortable with it.
What about the five players who haven't played at all? Are they just bad?
Maybe. Or maybe they don't fit what he's trying to do. Curbelo, Kembo, Christian Joel—they're ghosts right now. Either they're being saved for something, or they're already gone in his mind.
That seems harsh for five matches in.
It is. But managers know quickly who they trust. Jiménez has made that clear. The question is whether those 13 are enough if someone gets hurt.