Real Betis forward Cucho Hernández will be sidelined for three to six weeks with a muscle injury to his proximal left soleus. The club confirmed the diagnosis on Monday after medical tests, with the issue occurring during his 64 minutes on the pitch in Saturday's 2-5 defeat to FC Barcelona.
The Colombian will miss a critical run of fixtures. In the Champions League, he will be absent for games against Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund. In La Liga, where Betis sit fourth with 19 points from a record of six wins, one draw, and two losses, he will miss matches against Celta Vigo, Málaga, and Elche. He will also be unavailable for the derby against Sevilla on November 22nd and the Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Palma del Río. The injury comes as the team prepares to travel to face eighth-placed Celta this Saturday in matchday 10.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini must find solutions for an attack losing a key figure. Internal options include Troy Parrott, who could operate as a fixed number nine, and players like Rodrigo Marina, Aitor Ruibal, or Nelson Deossa, who can fill attacking roles. Hernández's absence is a significant blow for a side that, despite the recent loss, has won three and drawn one of its last five matches across all competitions. This run includes wins against Porto (3-2) and Osasuna (5-2), and a draw with Deportivo La Coruna (1-1). Betis will aim to maintain their position in the league table, eight points behind leaders Barcelona, while managing this important loss. The team has scored 16 goals and conceded 14 in the league this season, with Abde Ezzalzouli their top scorer on three goals.
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