Mikel Rodríguez’s ACL injury leaves the Alavés midfield to Aleñá and Denis

At Alavés, the serious injury of Mikel Rodríguez—a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right leg—has left one midfield spot without a clear owner, and over the last four matchdays Carles Aleñá and Denis Suárez have alternated there, alongside Protesoni.

As MARCA reports, the Getaria native had settled beside Antonio Blanco and Pablo Ibáñez before the setback in training.

Midfield spot up for grabs

Over the past month, Aleñá, Denis and Protesoni have covered the position. The Uruguayan appeared at San Mamés in a different role, while the main competition for the “sala de máquinas” now looks like Aleñá versus Denis. So far, Aleñá has started two games and Denis one.

Denis has taken a slight edge to partner Blanco and Ibáñez, though he needs more regular minutes to reach his best. He showed encouraging moments in the second half against Racing Santander, but is still not at the level he delivered in stretches last season. Aleñá is aiming to reclaim a bigger role after starting only 5 of 17 league matches since Quique Sánchez Flores arrived.

Quique: “High bar”

Four days after the injury, Quique Sánchez Flores said: “Mikel has left the bar set very high, and anyone who wants to play in that position has to reach that level.” The club’s plans for the January market will depend on how Aleñá and Denis perform.