Real Betis may have won against Real Sociedad at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday, but they were also dealt a couple of bitter injury blows that will have set back head coach Manuel Pellegrini ahead of a busy upcoming spell of fixtures.
Betis looked to have turned a corner in the last couple of matches, as they recorded back-to-back 3-0 victories over KAA Gent and Real Sociedad in the UEFA Conference League and La Liga respectively. Winter transfer window signing Antony has played a big part, but the return of Marc Roca after a long-term injury absence has also helped.
However, Pellegrini will be forced to do without Roca for the foreseeable future, as Marca have reported that the former Bayern Munich and Leeds United pivot has suffered a “serious foot problem”.
Betis have confirmed that Roca sustained a “partial injury to the flexor plate of the second metatarsophalangeal joint of the right foot” during the victory over La Real, and the expectation is that he will be out of action for “several weeks”, as per Marca’s report.
To make matters worse for Betis, they will also be without Giovani Lo Celso for a little while too. The Argentine midfielder, who has already been affected by injuries since returning to the club last summer, was taken off at half time during the match against La Real, and it has since been confirmed that he suffered a “medium-grade injury in the middle third of the soleus of his right leg”. As such, he will be unavailable for the next 2-3 weeks at the very least, which is an added blow for Los Verdiblancos.
After matchday 24, Betis currently occupy 8th place in the La Liga standings, but they are only three points away from Rayo Vallecano in the final Europa League qualification spot. They need a strong end to the season in order to secure a top six finish, but being without Roca and Lo Celso will certainly make it more difficult.
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