Matchday 18 - Player to Watch

Elias (Atletic Madrid)

Elias signed from Corinthians at the beginning of the month as a replacement for departing winger Simao Sabrosa but he is not a like-for-like swap for the Portuguese international. The seven million euro Brazlian is being lined up as an eventual replacement for Paolo Assuncao in central midfield. Quique Sanchez Flores has called Elias up for the first time for the trip to Hercules on Monday night and we will hopefully see something of him in the second half. Tiago is currently injured and Paolo Assuncao had a head scare at the end of last week but Mario Suarez and Raul Garcia are standing in the way of a starting position for the 25-year-old. Elias has a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder but he has more of an eye for goal than Assuncao and some of that Brazilian flair you would expect from a player who learned his trade on the streets of Sao Paolo.