Málaga Dealt Defensive Blow as Galilea Ruled Out for a Month Ahead of Granada Clash
Málaga face a defensive crisis after Einar Galilea is confirmed out for at least a month, just days before a crucial Segunda División trip to Granada.
Málaga’s preparations for Saturday’s Segunda División derby at Granada have taken a hit, with centre-back Einar Galilea confirmed out for at least a month after scans revealed a miotendinous injury to his left hamstring.
The Injury Blow
Galilea had already been training separately from the main group after picking up a knock in the recent match against Albacete Balompié, and the medical tests carried out during Thursday’s session at the Anexo de La Rosaleda confirmed the worst. For manager Funes, losing a key defensive pillar right now is a proper headache — the sort of news that makes you want to put the kettle on and stare out the window for a bit.
- Injury: Miotendinous lesion, left hamstring
- Expected absence: Minimum one month
- Previous concern: Galilea had been training away from the group since the Albacete game
Long-term absentees Luismi Sánchez and Víctor Pastor also continued their individual gym-based recovery programmes, so the defensive department is looking a bit threadbare at the moment, to say the least.
Some Good News, At Least
It’s not all doom and gloom at La Rosaleda, mind you. There were a couple of rays of sunshine poking through the clouds:
- David Larrubia has come through training fully fit and without any physical issues — a timely boost ahead of the weekend
- Darko Brasanac, the Serbian midfielder who’s been out since November with a knee problem, has begun integrating back into full group training on a gradual basis. How he responds over the coming sessions will determine whether he’s available for selection any time soon
Brasanac’s return is one to watch. A midfielder of his quality has been sorely missed, and if he can get back to full fitness without any setbacks, it changes Funes’s options considerably in the second half of the season.
Eyes on Granada
The squad will be back at it on Friday morning — their final training session before making the trip to face Granada at the Nuevo Los Cármenes on Saturday. It’s a big one. Granada are one of the heavyweights in this division, and Málaga are going to need everyone available firing on all cylinders.
With Galilea now out of the picture for a month, Funes will need to shuffle his defensive options and hope the back line holds firm. Losing your centre-back axis before a game like this is hardly ideal preparation — but that’s football, innit.