Ruibal racing against time for Feyenoord clash as Betis injury crisis deepens
Aitor Ruibal could provide a timely boost for Manuel Pellegrini's depleted Betis squad ahead of Thursday's crucial Europa League clash against Feyenoord at La Cartuja.
Pellegrini desperately seeking reinforcements as injury list grows longer than the queue at Spurs’ trophy cabinet
Injury crisis deepens
Manuel Pellegrini’s got proper trouble on his hands at the moment, ain’t he? The Chilean gaffer is dealing with a right mare of an injury crisis as his Betis side continue fighting on three fronts. With the transfer window slamming shut next Monday (February 2nd), the boss is scrambling to see if he can bring in some fresh legs before it’s too late.
In the meantime, all eyes are on Aitor Ruibal ahead of Thursday’s crucial Europa League clash against Feyenoord at La Cartuja. The versatile Catalan picked up a knock during Betis’ trip to Greece last week, but appears to be making a decent push to be available for selection.
Race against time
Tuesday’s training session, scheduled for 10:30 at Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol following Monday’s well-earned rest day, will be pivotal in determining whether Ruibal can feature against the Dutch side. The squad has been on their Barnet Fair with back-to-back away trips to Thessaloniki and Vitoria, so Pellegrini granted them a breather.
Ruibal represents Pellegrini’s only potential injury returnee for Thursday’s match. A victory would secure Betis’ position among the top eight in the Europa League standings, sending them directly to the round of 16 and avoiding the playoff round.
Squad headaches mount
The situation elsewhere in the squad remains grim:
- Cucho Hernandez might return for Sunday’s match, though he’s reportedly targeting the Copa del Rey clash with Atletico Madrid next week
- Hector Bellerin, Junior Firpo, Amrabat, Isco, Lo Celso and Riquelme remain sidelined for the foreseeable future
- Natan will miss the Valencia match through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card against Alaves
- Abde emerged from the Alaves match with some muscle fatigue but should be available for Feyenoord
Critical stretch ahead
With three crucial matches coming up at La Cartuja across three different competitions, Pellegrini is in a desperate race to get bodies back on the pitch. For now, Ruibal’s potential return represents a small but significant ray of hope in an otherwise bleak injury landscape.