Garcés also tears his ACL and will miss 8-9 months

Alavés has another long-term injury to deal with after facing the operating room again. According to MARCA, Facundo Garcés has torn his ACL and is expected to miss eight to nine months, adding to the sidelining of Mikel Rodríguez, confirmed on Friday.

Two setbacks in a week

The injury happened in the very same session as Rodríguez’s. In Garcés’s case, there was even hope the problem might be less severe, because after the match against Osasuna he was seen on the pitch ending the game and celebrating with the rest of the squad without obvious physical issues.

Back also delayed by suspension

The Argentine centre-back was still serving a one-year ban imposed by FIFA, which was set to end in the first week of November. While the governing body allowed him to work with the team for periods earlier on, the timeline for his return now stretches much further than expected.

The last game he played was on 27 February at the Ciutat de Valencia. The TAS granted him a provisional ruling at the end of January, allowing him to feature in four matches. But once the ban was reactivated, and with less than two months to reach the end of the sentence, another injury has forced him into surgery again.

The squad may look to the free-agent market

As MARCA explains, the injuries to Rodríguez and Garcés open the door for Alavés to sign a replacement as a free agent. The player must have been available before the transfer window closed. While the club’s midfield/defensive options are not empty, this “Facu” injury could push coach Sergio Fernández to look for another centre-back if an appealing option is found.