Calero and Dotor injury concerns cloud Málaga's La Liga return

Málaga's return to La Liga is overshadowed by injury troubles to two key defenders. Fernando Calero and Carlos Dotor suffered injuries in a friendly against Ceuta, as confirmed by the Andalusian club through its official channels.

Medical tests revealed that Calero has rib fractures (ribs 9, 10 and 11) after taking a blow to his side, while Dotor, on loan from Celta, has a grade I injury to the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. Their return to team training will depend on how their recovery progresses in the coming days.

For manager Juanfran Funes, the blow comes at a difficult moment: he will have a limited squad due to the club's financial struggles and must improvise in defence ahead of the league opener against Atlético Madrid. First, the team will play the Costa del Sol Trophy against Fulham this Wednesday.