Junior Firpo confirms injury after being forced off for RD vs Haiti

Junior Firpo, full-back at Real Betis, confirmed he is dealing with an injury after being forced off in the 10th minute of the match between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The player told media in the Caribbean country that he was already carrying discomfort from the game vs Trinidad and Tobago and felt “a small stretch that turned out to be stronger than it should,” adding he will wait for tests to see if he can return to the club: “They already called me and want to check what’s there.”

Firpo also blamed the new international break setup, which leaves clubs without league action for nearly three weeks and bunches up national-team fixtures. “I didn’t quite understand why they changed the break,” he said, contrasting it with the previous format: two games in ten days versus four in eleven.

With Real Betis set for eight matches in 29 days, Manuel Pellegrini’s rotation policy means he needs at least two options per position. Fran García, another left-back at the club, was called up by Luis de la Fuente and played 90 minutes against the Czech Republic. As MARCA reports, the issue is affecting the left side of the defense.