Paulino's knee nightmare continues with second surgery needed
Real Zaragoza midfielder faces months on the sidelines after club confirms he requires arthroscopic knee surgery, extending his already lengthy absence.
Real Zaragoza’s troubled season takes another blow as midfielder Paulino requires a second knee operation, pushing his return date back by several more months.
Second surgery confirmed
After undergoing surgery on his left knee in December with hopes of a swift comeback, Paulino’s recovery hasn’t gone according to plan. The club has now confirmed he’ll be back under the knife tomorrow for an arthroscopic procedure that will sideline him for “several months.”
The club statement explained the decision was made jointly with the player to “accelerate his recovery” - though at this point, there’s no bread and honey about when we might actually see him back on the pitch.
Summer signing struggles
It’s been a proper nightmare season for the midfielder who arrived last summer with high expectations. The stats tell a grim story:
- Just 8 appearances this campaign
- Under 400 minutes played in total
- No competitive action since November
- Zero opportunity to show his quality
Brought in to be a difference-maker, Paulino has barely had a chance to find his feet at Zaragoza. The injuries have completely derailed what was meant to be an impactful season for the player.
Team news for Real Sociedad B clash
In related squad news, Martín Aguirregabiria will also miss tomorrow’s fixture against Real Sociedad B. The defender wasn’t involved in training this morning, and manager Rubén Sellés isn’t willing to rush him back prematurely.
Ale Gomes, who performed admirably against Racing Santander, is expected to continue at right-back in Aguirregabiria’s absence.
For Zaragoza, these injury woes couldn’t come at a worse time as they battle to find consistency in the Segunda División. The loss of Paulino for what could potentially be the remainder of the season represents a significant blow to their squad depth and quality.