Mamadou Sarr faces possible Liga meeting with Abdoulaye Faye

Mamadou Sarr could make his long-awaited Real Sociedad debut when the Basque club hosts Celta de Vigo on Thursday, creating a possible meeting with fellow Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Faye. Sarr is in the squad again but has yet to play since joining on a season-long loan from Chelsea, without a purchase option, after previously captaining Strasbourg.

The fixture is an advanced sixth-round LaLiga match. Celta sit 14th with one point from two matches, while Real Sociedad are bottom in 20th place without a point from their opening two games. The contrasting positions add importance for a Real side seeking its first league points and a Celta team looking to move away from the lower end of the table.

Sarr was included for the first time against Espanyol but stayed on the bench, and he has not appeared in any of Real Sociedad’s matches since arriving. Faye, 21, joined Celta after last season at Lorient and began this campaign as a substitute in the club’s first two fixtures. He made his first start against Athletic Club before being taken off shortly after half-time, and could return to the pitch against Real Sociedad.

Real have won two of their last five matches, alongside two draws and one defeat. Celta are unbeaten across the same period, with two wins and three draws. The game therefore offers Sarr a chance to begin his Real Sociedad career while Faye seeks a more established role in Vigo.