Vanja Drkusic

ESY

• #16 • Center Back

Vanja Drkusic

ESY

• #16 • Center Back

Nationality

Slovenia

Position

Center Back

Role

Ball-Playing Center Back

Birthdate (Age)

Oct 30, 1999 (26)

Preferred Foot

Right

Height

6'1"

Weight

176 lb

Club

Espanyol

League

La Liga

Ranking

La Liga

2026/2027 All matches

Overall grade

59.5

353/444

Impact score

6.5

218/444

Defender rank

115th

115/169

All rank

291st

291/444

Top 5 Leagues

2026/2027 All matches

Defender rank

539th

539/794

All rank

1335th

1,335/2,069

Grades

Key Grades

2026/2027 La Liga

Overall

137th/169 DEF

59.5

On Ball Attacking

133rd/161 DEF

59.2

Duel

140th/167 DEF

59.8

1 V 1 Defending

75th/165 DEF

67.7

Positioning

148th/169 DEF

60.5

Ball Control

104th/167 DEF

Overall Grades by game

2026/2027 La Liga

Metrics

Key Metrics

2026/2027 La Liga

Appearances

Starts

Minutes

196

Goals

Assists

Upcoming matches

Oct 30, 8:00pm UTC

Villarreal

Espanyol

Estadio de la Cerámica

News

Oct 18, 2026

Returns to full training

Drkusic (undisclosed) participated fully in Espanyol's team training session Sunday after being forced off during Saturday's La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid and appears available for selection moving forward, according to the club.

Analysis: Drkusic appears to have avoided a significant injury after experiencing physical discomfort during Saturday's encounter against Atletico Madrid, which forced him to request a substitution in the 63rd minute. The Slovenian center-back had started alongside Clemens Riedel and Leandro Cabrera in Espanyol's five-man defensive setup before being replaced by Unai Nunez. His early withdrawal had raised concerns given that he was also substituted during Slovenia's recent international clash against Scotland, but his return to unrestricted training just one day later suggests the latest issue was relatively minor. Drkusic should remain in contention for his usual role in central defense moving forward, although he will continue competing with Nunez for playing time.

Oct 17, 2026

Forced off with physical discomfort

Drkusic (undisclosed) was forced off in the 63rd minute of Saturday's La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid after experiencing physical discomfort during the second half. The defender requested to be substituted and was replaced by Unai Nunez, with the nature and severity of his issue still unclear, according to Diario AS.

Analysis: Drkusic was handed a starting role in Espanyol's five-man defensive setup against Atletico Madrid, lining up alongside Clemens Riedel and Leandro Cabrera before being forced to leave the pitch with the score still 0-0 in the 63rd minute. The Slovenian center-back began experiencing discomfort during the second half and was unable to continue, raising concerns about his fitness after he had also been substituted in the 64th minute of Slovenia's recent international match against Scotland. It remains unclear whether the two incidents are related, and further medical assessments will be needed to determine the extent of his latest issue. Should Drkusic be required to miss time, Unai Nunez could benefit from additional opportunities in central defense, having been called upon to replace him Saturday.