He kept his place, but in November, an injury sustained against Mallorca was diagnosed as a bruised kidney and fractured vertebrae, which kept him out for some weeks, during which time Zé Castro forced his way into consideration as a starter. In January 2007, Pablo marked his 100th game for the club with a rare goal to earn a draw with Racing Santander, and completed the season with 24 league games. He helped the club qualify for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup, and retained a regular spot in the starting eleven as Atlético finished fourth in the league and qualified for the Champions League, but mistakes in the Madrid derby in January 2008 led to both Real's goals and rekindled the fans' hostility.