A bit of a merry-go-round this summer on the goalkeeping front, with many of the top names changing clubs. Prats, Esteban, Luis García, Calatayud, César, Palop, Mora and Valbuena all stay in the first división, but Reina, Westerveld and Mauro Lima have all moved to the Premier League and Lemmens has gone on to Greece. Ricardo returns from England though, and there will be some new faces including Barbosa and Viera at Villarreal, Costanzo at Alavés (despite Bonano's monstrous performance against Barcelona at the weekend) and Limia at Cádiz.

Zaragoza's Lainez is retiring due to injury, and two of Getafe's keepers from last season have had medical problems, Sánchez Broto who had his new contract at Hércules cancelled after failing a check up on his knee (currently going through the labour courts for wrongful dismissal) and Sergio Aragoneses, who signed at Elche only to be diagnosed with cancer of the testicles a week later. The club though will allow him to stay on, and he has at least some comfort knowing that Molina and Mono Bugos recovered from the same illness.

The new league started with the lowest number of goals in ten years, which is at least good news for goalkeepers. No less than ten kept clean sheets on the opening day, and they are the early leaders in our chart. We had the first casualty this weekend, Betis's Doblas being stretchered off to be replaced by Contreras. The injury doesn't look so bad though, and Doblas should be fit again for when the league resumes after the international break. (29.08.05)