(Reuters) - Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez has been cleared to play in Sunday's La Liga game at Athletic Bilbao after being excused from working at a polling station in Spain's parliamentary election on the same day.
"Good news. The electoral commission has excused our goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez from being a reserve at the Mondragon polling station. We'll see you at San Mames," Levante tweeted on Saturday.
Fernandez, who is from the Basque town of Mondragon, had been drafted onto a list of reserves who are required to attend the polling station on the morning of the election to see whether their presence is required.
Levante's preparations for the game at San Mames had been thrown into chaos as second-choice keeper Oier Olazabal is injured. However, Fernandez will now be able to turn out for his side, who beat champions Barcelona 3-1 last week.
All Spaniards on the electoral register are liable to be called up to work at polling stations, for which they are paid 65 euros ($72), and require mitigating circumstances to be excused.
Fernandez’s team mate Jorge Miramon had also been drafted in to work on election day in his hometown of Zaragoza but was released from duty earlier in the week.
(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)