Girona's Álex Moreno sidelined for six weeks in fresh injury blow
The former Aston Villa left-back's injury compounds Girona's woes after their recent defeat to bottom-placed Oviedo and leaves Míchel without a natural left-back option.
Just as things were looking up for Girona with 10 points from 12, the club has been hit with another injury setback as Álex Moreno faces six weeks on the sidelines with a soleus muscle problem.
From bad to worse
It’s been a proper week from hell for the Catalan outfit. First came the disappointing defeat to basement boys Oviedo at the Carlos Tartiere, snapping their decent run of form, and now they’ve lost their only natural left-back to injury.
This blow comes hot on the heels of the Ter Stegen situation – a loan deal that’s turning into a right old Adam and Eve. The German keeper has played just two matches before getting crocked, effectively costing Girona a whopping €200,000 per appearance.
Míchel’s headache
The gaffer now faces another tactical puzzle to solve without Moreno, who joined from Aston Villa after previous spells at Nottingham Forest and Real Betis. The absence of the Vallecas-born defender leaves Míchel with several less-than-ideal options:
- Shift Daley Blind to left-back, forcing a reshuffle at centre-back with Vitor Reis likely to partner a new teammate
- Deploy Arnau or Francés – both naturally right-sided players – on the left flank
- Adapt another versatile squad member to fill the gap
Questions over squad planning
Interestingly, sporting director Quique Cárcel had recently faced questions about the lack of backup for Moreno during a press conference reviewing the transfer window. Already aware of the injury at that point, Cárcel discussed potential solutions within the existing squad, emphasizing player versatility.
The injury caps what has been described as a “black week” for Girona, who must now regroup and find solutions from within as they look to maintain their impressive campaign despite mounting obstacles.