Pellegrini's defensive headache deepens as Natan joins Betis injury list

Manuel Pellegrini’s selection troubles continue to mount as Betis lose another defensive option ahead of their upcoming clash with Valencia.

Suspension adds to injury woes

Betis’ momentum has hit the skids after what looked like a potential turning point with their impressive victory against Villarreal nine days ago. Since then, it’s been a right dog’s dinner for the Andalusians, suffering back-to-back defeats against PAOK in Thessaloniki on Thursday and Alavés at Mendizorroza last night.

To add insult to injury, Brazilian defender Natan picked up his fifth yellow card of the La Liga season during the Alavés match, triggering an automatic one-match suspension. The card came in the 36th minute for what referee Ortiz Arias described as “recklessly bringing down an opponent while challenging for the ball” – a clear stamp on Toni Martínez that leaves little room for appeal.

Schedule implications

The timing couldn’t be worse for Pellegrini, who’s already dealing with a lengthy injury list. The suspension specifically rules Natan out for Sunday’s La Liga fixture against Valencia, though he remains available for:

• Thursday’s Europa League match against Feyenoord
• The following week’s Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid at La Cartuja
• The subsequent La Liga encounter with Atlético at the Metropolitano

Bigger picture concerns

These setbacks come at a critical juncture for Los Verdiblancos, who missed a golden opportunity to reclaim fifth place in the table with the Alavés defeat. The loss to PAOK has also complicated their push for a top-8 finish in the Europa League, leaving Pellegrini with significant challenges across multiple competitions.

With defensive options dwindling and results taking a turn for the worse, the Chilean gaffer will need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to get Betis back on track in the coming fixtures.