Injury-hit Mallorca open season against champions Valencia

Real Mallorca fans will get their first look at new signing Walter Pandiani this evening as the club kick-off the new season at home to champions Valencia. After joining the Islanders on loan on Friday as part of the Albert Luque transfer to Deportivo, Pandiani is set to make his debut up front for a Mallorca side hit hard by injury. Mallorca's two most influential players, Samuel Eto'o and Ariel Ibagaza, are both missing through injury, although Eto'o would have missed the match anyway due to a four match suspension. The usual suspects of Miguel Nadal, Fernando Niño, Miquel Soler and Javier Olaizola will make up the back four in front of Argentine goalkeeper Leo Franco. Joining Pandiani making his league debut for Mallorca will be Colombian international Harold Lozano who will sit alongside Marcos in the middle of the park with Alejandro Campo and Alvaro Novo on the right and left flanks respectively. Pandiani will be joined up front by Albert Riera while Argentine striker “Turu” Flores, who also signed from Depor on Friday, will start on the bench. Mallorca will want to start on a better footing than last season when they were hammered 3-0 by Las Palmas at Son Moix. However, despite losing to Deportivo in last week's Supercopa, Valencia will be tough opposition and a point against the title holders would be a good result for Gregorio Manzano's team. In goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares Valencia have one of the best shot stoppers in the world, while the defence is as sturdy as you will find in La Liga. The wise heads of Mauricio Pellegrino and Amedeo Carboni will marshall the back four with Miroslav Djukic stepping in for the suspended Roberto Ayala. Midfielder Ruben Baraja was the revelation of Spanish football last season and also highly influential in Valencia's title win. The cherry on the top is Argentine Pablo Aimar, a sublimely skilled striker who likes to pick up the ball deep and run at defenders. “Valencia are a fantastic team and are definitely capable of winning the title again,” Manzano warned his side yesterday. “We must take into account that their players have a lot of experience and they're all top quality. But what happens tomorrow will happen and it doesn't define our season, we are only on the first day,” he added.