Rioja (foot) was limited to the warmup with the squad Tuesday before continuing his recovery separately, though Valencia remain optimistic that he can shake off his lingering heel discomfort in time for Sunday's clash with Racing Santander, according to Diario AS.
Analysis:Rioja remains short of full team training as he continues to battle the heel pain that has bothered him for several weeks, keeping his availability for Sunday's match up in the air. The winger previously tried to play through the issue against Alaves and scored the game-winner before renewed discomfort forced him off after just 20 minutes. Valencia's optimism is a positive sign, but his progress over the remainder of the week should determine whether he's ready to return to the mix.
