Serious injury casts shadow on the victory in Slovenia: Ciudad's middle back will be out for the rest of the season.
Chema Rodriguez injures
Ciudad Real gained two points in Slovenia last weekend, but lost one of their most important players, Chema Rodriguez. The Achilles tendon of the Spanish playmaker was torn during the game against Velenje.
The player was examined back in Spain and the medical check-up confirmed the first diagnosis. Chema will be operated on Tuesday and as the recovery times of a similar injury are around 6 to 8 months, the player will be out for the rest of the season.
The loss of Chema is really bad news for Ciudad and also for the Spanish national team. Talant Djushebaev must look for alternatives to help Zorman in the middle back position.
Last season Djushebaev, the former legendary player, returned on court himself to replace Zorman when the Slovenian was injured. Perhaps the Spanish coach can take the same decision now.
However, Ciudad have many world class players to replace Chema Rodriguez. Alberto Entrerrios or Rutenka can also play in the middle whenever Zorman needs a rest.
TEXT:
Fernando Urra Goñi