Midfielder Isco Alarcón, a key figure for Real Betis, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Monday, December 29, due to a complication from an injury suffered a month ago. The intra-articular cartilage issue was not initially detected and will keep him sidelined for at least another month. This new absence complicates coach Manuel Pellegrini's plans in a season plagued by the Málaga native's injuries.
Manuel Pellegrini faces another setback at Real Betis with Isco Alarcón's injury, one of his captains and key players. The 32-year-old midfielder will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Monday to address an intra-articular cartilage injury stemming from an incident on November 27 during a Europa League match against Utrecht.
In that play, Isco and teammate Sofyan Amrabat collided, leaving both injured. The Málaga native, in his first start of the season, lasted only 10 minutes on the field. Initially, he received seven stitches for a wound from the high-impact collision, with no apparent bone or muscle damage. However, later tests revealed leg edema extending to the ankle, causing the undetected cartilage complication.
On December 19, José Manuel Álvarez, head of Betis' medical services, detailed the progression: “No solo se queda en una simple herida. La desafortunada jugada con Amrabat genera una alta intensidad en el impacto hasta el punto que le rompe la piel. Hay una herida, pero la herida es por un traumatismo, por una contusión de alta intensidad. [...] Eso es lo que ocurrió en el caso de Isco”. He noted the use of growth factor infiltrations to drain the edema and improve ankle mobility, but recovery has been slower than anticipated.
Pellegrini had foreseen Isco's absence after the incident: “Ha sido un partido muy accidentado, sobre todo el primer tiempo, con la lesión de Isco y Amrabat, que es increíble, y otros golpes fuertes para ambos equipos. Isco no estará el domingo. Le dieron siete puntos de sutura y, aunque no hay lesión ósea ni muscular, le va llevar un tiempo recuperarse”.
With just 39 minutes played this season, injuries have severely limited Isco, impacting the team's continuity in LaLiga and European competitions. This surgery will sideline him for at least another month, adding to time already lost.
