There is a certain type of player whose value only becomes obvious when they are absent. Julio Pleguezuelo may well be that player for Plymouth Argyle. After a season badly disrupted by knee surgery and calf problems, the 29-year-old Spanish defender has returned fit, available, and — by the sound of Tom Cleverley — something close to indispensable.

Pleguezuelo played just ten times last season as successive injuries limited his contribution. This term he has featured in every League One match so far, and his manager is making no secret of how much it matters. "Technically he's a huge player for us," Cleverley told BBC Radio Devon. "His calmness on the ball, his decision making, his positional play is really of a high level."

The defender was visible again on Saturday as Argyle ran out 3-0 winners over Barnsley at Home Park, a result that will have done Plymouth's early-season confidence no harm at all. Clean sheets, Cleverley noted, tend to follow Pleguezuelo around. "We have a fairly good clean sheet percentage rate when Pleggy's in the team," he said, "which is always a plus as a defender."

That statistical observation is worth sitting with for a moment. Cleverley is not a manager given to hollow praise, and framing a centre-back's contribution in those terms — clean sheets correlating with his presence — says something more substantive than a routine pat on the back. It is a coach pointing quietly at evidence.

Beyond the defensive numbers, Cleverley highlighted the intangibles that a 29-year-old with considerable experience brings to a dressing room. "He also brings the leadership, the experience, the calmness whether times are good or bad and with that is a consistency of performance." Leadership and calmness are easy words to reach for, but in a League One season that will throw up bad runs, postponements and injury crises, having a composed head at the back tends to matter more than the August table suggests.

Pleguezuelo arrived at Home Park in the summer of 2023, the first Spanish player to represent the club. He played 22 league starts in Plymouth's first season back in the second tier, contributing to a survival that went to the final day. The following campaign he featured in roughly half of Argyle's matches before relegation confirmed their return to the third tier. Then came the injuries, and then came this season.

"He's one of those who looks like he's in a rhythm now, and we're getting the benefits of that," Cleverley added. "I've been really pleased with his level of performance last year, very unfortunate with his injury issues. But I could see in the small number of games I saw him play last year his quality and what he brought to the team, and we're seeing that more consistently now."

That last phrase — "more consistently now" — is probably the key one. Individual quality in League One is fairly common. Consistent availability is rarer, and consistent availability from a player of genuine quality is rarer still. Plymouth are only a handful of games into the season, and four games is four games; nobody is drawing firm conclusions yet. But if Pleguezuelo can stay fit across a full campaign, Argyle have a player whose experience of the second tier, and whose composure in possession, could give them something the rest of the division may struggle to match at the back.

Cleverley will be cautious about saying so publicly. He has already urged calm after positive early results. But the manager's words about his Spanish defender carry the quiet satisfaction of a man watching a plan come together after a year of frustration.

Frequently asked

Who is Julio Pleguezuelo and why did he miss so many games for Plymouth?
Julio Pleguezuelo is a 29-year-old Spanish centre-back who joined Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 2023. He missed most of last season due to knee surgery and calf problems, managing only ten appearances. He has been fully fit and available for every League One match this season.
What has Tom Cleverley said about Pleguezuelo's return?
Plymouth boss Tom Cleverley described Pleguezuelo as a 'huge player' for the club, praising his calmness on the ball, decision making, positional play, leadership and consistency. Cleverley also noted that Plymouth's clean sheet record improves when Pleguezuelo is in the side.
How has Plymouth Argyle started the League One season?
Plymouth have made an encouraging start to the League One season, with Pleguezuelo featuring in every match. Their most recent result was a 3-0 home win over Barnsley at Home Park, though manager Tom Cleverley has publicly urged caution about reading too much into early results.