Valencia goalkeeper crisis: Agirrezabala injury leaves Corberán in the lurch
Valencia's goalkeeping woes deepen as Agirrezabala's hamstring injury coincides with Dimitrievski's ongoing recovery, potentially forcing third-choice Rivero into action.
Valencia’s season continues to spiral as a new goalkeeping crisis threatens to compound their already dire situation. With Julen Agirrezabala sidelined by injury after the Celta Vigo hammering, Carlos Corberán faces a proper headache between the sticks.
Defeat and disaster at Balaídos
The 4-1 thrashing at Celta was bad enough, but losing their first-choice keeper makes Valencia’s predicament even more grim. With just three wins all season, Los Che could find themselves back in the relegation zone depending on Girona’s result against Mallorca.
Agirrezabala’s injury appears to be a hamstring tear that could keep him out for several weeks. The Basque keeper had actually been playing with protection on his left leg recently, suggesting this wasn’t entirely out of the blue.
Dimitrievski dilemma
The timing couldn’t be worse as backup Stole Dimitrievski isn’t fully recovered from an adductor muscle tear suffered on December 15th. The Macedonian has only partially returned to training and is racing against the clock to be fit for Saturday’s crucial home fixture against Elche.
Dimitrievski’s relationship with the club has been rocky to say the least. He:
- Received a financial penalty for questioning why his loan agreement with Agirrezabala puts him at a disadvantage
- Requested a transfer last summer
- Was reportedly keen to leave in the January window
- Has only played two Copa del Rey matches this season
Rivero ready?
If Dimitrievski can’t recover in time, third-choice Cristian Rivero could be thrown in at the deep end for what would be his La Liga debut. Talk about a baptism of fire! The young keeper would face not only the pressure of the relegation battle but also the increasingly restless Valencia faithful.
Interestingly, despite being third-choice, the club has already informed Rivero’s representatives that they intend to offer him a contract extension. Meanwhile, Valencia hold an option to extend Dimitrievski’s deal by two years, despite the goalkeeper’s previous desire to scarper.
Corberán’s plate is already full with Hugo Duro suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card. Adding a goalkeeper crisis to the mix? That’s the last thing he needs as Valencia desperately search for the three points that might stop their season going completely Pete Tong.