Etta Eyong earns first Levante start of the season against Atletico Madrid

Cameroon international Etta Eyong has been handed his first starting appearance of the season for Levante in Saturday’s LaLiga encounter against Atletico Madrid at the Ciutat de València.

Head coach Luís Castro included the 23-year-old striker in his starting lineup for the Matchday 11 fixture, rewarding his progress after gradually increasing his involvement following an injury setback.

Eyong had been working his way back to full fitness and featured mainly as a substitute in recent matches, with Castro previously explaining that the forward was not yet ready to complete 90 minutes.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, the Portuguese manager praised the striker’s commitment and concentration during his recovery.

“Etta is coming on very well, he works hard and is focused. He is getting more minutes and we will see how he progresses,” Castro explained.

The decision to start Eyong represents an important step in his return, with the Cameroonian given an opportunity to lead Levante’s attack against Diego Simeone’s side.

His inclusion comes at the expense of Petar Ratkov, who started Levante’s previous league fixture against Real Sociedad but has been named among the substitutes for Saturday’s encounter.

Eyong will partner Iván Romero in attack as Levante look to secure a positive result against the Madrid giants.

The striker will hope to make the most of his opportunity and demonstrate that he is ready to become a regular starter again following his injury absence.