Pablo Ibáñez

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

In the suffocating atmosphere of Mendizorrotza, where every point feels like a battle for survival, Deportivo Alavés find themselves precariously perched in 15th place—adrift on a five-match winless streak (DLLDD) that has fans glancing nervously toward the relegation zone. Yet amid the chaos, one man has been the heartbeat of Luis García Plaza's struggling side: Pablo Ibáñez. The 27-year-old Spanish midfielder has been nothing short of indispensable. With 28 La Liga appearances and 1,667 minutes under his belt, Ibáñez ranks among the most ever-present players in the squad—a remarkable feat of durability in a campaign plagued by inconsistency. While his return of one goal and one assist might appear modest, it belies his true influence as a tireless box-to-box engine who shields Alavés' vulnerable backline while feeding creative talents like Unai Gómez and Abde Rebbach ahead of him. Valued at €3 million, Ibáñez represents exactly the kind of unsung reliability that struggling teams crave: disciplined (just three yellow cards all season), industrious, and always available. When the trapdoor to the second tier creaks open, Alavés will need every ounce of his metronomic presence to claw their way to safety.