Albacete Confirm Diego Mariño Injury Ahead of Crucial March Run-In
Albacete have confirmed goalkeeper Diego Mariño is out for several matches with a lower back injury, a major blow ahead of a decisive March schedule.
Albacete Balompié have been dealt a proper headache ahead of what could be the most important stretch of their Segunda División season — their first-choice keeper is out, and the timing couldn’t be much worse.
What’s Happened?
Diego Mariño, the Galician stopper signed by the club this summer, picked up a lower back injury after taking a knock during the game against Sporting de Gijón two matchdays ago. He was already absent for last Sunday’s trip to La Rosaleda, and after going through the relevant medical tests, the club have now officially confirmed he’ll be missing for the foreseeable future.
The official statement doesn’t put a specific timeframe on it, but all the signs point to Mariño sitting out the entirety of March — which, given where Albacete currently find themselves in the table, is a bit of a nightmare scenario.
Mariño’s Season By The Numbers
It’s worth remembering just how much the lad has contributed this term before writing off the situation:
- 16 Liga appearances since joining
- 25 goals conceded
- 6 clean sheets in the league
- Also kept a clean sheet in the Copa del Rey first-round tie against San Fernando
Not world-beating numbers by any stretch, but he’s been a reliable presence between the sticks and losing him right now is a genuine blow.
Who Steps In?
Manager Alberto González won’t be completely lost, mind you. Raúl Lizoaín has already deputised in 11 league games this season, plus three Copa del Rey matches, so he’s no stranger to the shirt. He’ll be stepping back into the starting XI here.
Beyond that, González will be calling up Mario Ramos from Atlético Albacete — the club’s B-team — to bolster the goalkeeping options. Ramos has already had a taste of the first-team setup having been called up to squads previously, so at least it’s not a complete unknown being thrown into the mix.
The Bigger Picture
Albacete themselves have described this coming period as their ‘Tourmalet’ — a nod to the infamous mountain stage of the Tour de France, basically their equivalent of a mountain to climb. Losing your number one keeper before that kind of run is the last thing you want.
The pressure is well and truly on Lizoaín to step up and keep Albacete in contention. No pressure, mate.