Pellegrini calls up five academy players for the Copa del Rey
Real Betis visit Navalcarnero on Thursday at 19:00 with nine internationals unavailable and Cucho Hernández injured.
Real Betis are back in training at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol after beating Elche on Sunday. Manuel Pellegrini ran the first session in the rain ahead of the Copa del Rey opener, a trip to Navalcarnero on Thursday at 19:00, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Nine players will miss the game because they are already with their national teams:
- Álvaro Valles
- Manu González
- Ángel Ortiz
- Álvaro Fidalgo
- Nelson Deossa
- Facundo Bernal
- Marc Roca
- Abde
- Troy Parrott
Cucho Hernández is also out injured, and Álvaro de Pablo cannot play because of Copa regulations. To cover the gaps, Pellegrini has called up five academy players who have already trained with the first team:
- Yan Zhuravskyi (2009), goalkeeper from the Juvenil A
- Alejandro Postigo (2006), goalkeeper from Betis Deportivo
- Mario Navarro, right-back
- Rica Fúnez, midfielder
- Rodrigo Marina, forward
Goalkeeper is the big question: with Valles and Manu González away, at least one of the academy keepers must make the squad. Pellegrini will announce the list on Wednesday after the closed-door training session, and the team flies to Madrid on Thursday.
Navalcarnero
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