El Sardinero, starting point for Aguirre's Valencia

Valencia open a new chapter at El Sardinero with the urgent task of climbing off the bottom of the table. Last in the standings with four points, the club faces Javier Aguirre's debut as a chance to reverse a run that has made it the worst team in the league and to start finding solutions to the problems that have defined a disastrous start to the season.

• Javier Aguirre takes charge of his first official match as Valencia coach after the international break.
• Valencia sit bottom of LaLiga with just four points and need an immediate response.
• The coach welcomes back Tárrega, Diakhaby and Danjuma, but remains without six injured players.
• Racing return home having conceded a 7-2 loss to Barcelona and a 5-0 defeat at Celta.
• Agirrezabala, Canales and André Almeida face their former club at El Sardinero.

What Aguirre's Valencia need to change from the first whistle

Aguirre steps into the dugout after a two-and-a-half-week working period made possible by the international break. That time has allowed him to get to know the squad, analyse the shortcomings that have condemned the team this season and start introducing new ideas. Now comes the real test: training-ground talk must turn into results immediately.

Valencia are under pressure to show a different face on the pitch. Competing well will not be enough. The table demands points, and any plan that does not deliver them would only deepen a season that already started badly. The trip to Cantabria represents both a demanding test and a chance to reset the mood.

Valencia team news for El Sardinero

The Mexican coach recovers important pieces for this match. Defenders César Tárrega and Mouctar Diakhaby return to reinforce a back line that has suffered heavily in the opening weeks. Arnaut Danjuma is also available after overcoming ankle discomfort and can add drive in the final third.

The treatment room, however, remains busy. Luis Rioja, José Copete, Dimitri Foulquier, Umar Sadiq, Diego López and Sergi Canós are still out through injury. Six absentees limit rotation options and shape the lineup Aguirre can field in his first match.

Racing Santander aim to halt their slide at home

Racing Santander have problems of their own. The Cantabrian side return to El Sardinero almost a month after two performances to forget: a 7-2 defeat away to Barcelona and a 5-0 loss at Celta. Twelve goals conceded in two matches have dented their confidence and they are eager to deliver a response in front of their own fans.

Racing tend to be more comfortable at home and believe they can rediscover their best form against an opponent that arrives wounded but also carries the uncertainty of a new-coach effect. That unknown adds unpredictability to a game the hosts want to control from the start.

Reunions and a real threat called Pablo García

The match will bring together several familiar faces. Julen Agirrezabala, who played in goal for Valencia last season on loan, will cross paths again with the club where he spent that campaign. Sergio Canales, who joined Valencia in 2011-12, and loanee André Almeida will also face their former side.

The biggest danger for Valencia has a name: Pablo García. The Sevilla-born forward already scored against them on the opening weekend while at Real Betis, and he arrives on the back of productive minutes with Spain's under-21 side. His pace and dribbling will be the main concern for the visiting defence.

What is at stake for Valencia in Aguirre's first game

Beyond the three points, Valencia are playing for credibility at El Sardinero. A positive result would back the new coaching staff's message and lift a dressing room battered by poor results. A defeat would keep the team bottom and sound the alarm in a season that has only just begun.

Aguirre knows it. His message has focused on restoring confidence and tightening up at the back, one of the team's biggest weaknesses. El Sardinero will be the first real gauge of whether the change of direction is taking hold or whether Valencia remain stuck in the same negative spiral.