Valencia’s Right-Back Crisis: A Growing Concern

omidbasir- The issue of Valencia’s right-back position has escalated from significant to urgent. With Dimitri Foulquier having undergone surgery on his left knee and Thierry Rendall still recovering from a hamstring injury after nearly a year out due to a cruciate ligament tear, the prospects for adequately filling this position are not promising. Additionally, Rubo Iranzo, who is more of a center-back and has only played in the Copa del Rey, is also recovering from a knee sprain, further depleting the natural options available.

The club has even considered the possibility of entering the free agent market to strengthen this position until the end of the season. However, there is currently no consensus on any player. Moreover, for this scenario to materialize, the club would need to request Foulquier’s federative discharge by presenting a medical report confirming the long-term nature of his injury, similar to the case with Diakhaby. For now, the club has only announced that Foulquier was “successfully operated on for his left knee” via arthroscopy and will remain hospitalized for “the next few hours.”

With Foulquier sidelined, coach Corberán anticipated the challenges ahead of the match against Real Madrid, leaving Thierry Rendall as the alternative option. The Portuguese full-back expressed discomfort this week, as reported by 90 Minuts, after playing 20 minutes in the second half against Real Madrid, four weeks post his hamstring injury. Corberán understands the need to proceed cautiously with the return of a player whose explosiveness has previously caused muscular issues.

The third option, if necessary, would be Rubo Iranzo. However, the Valencia youth product is also injured, and it remains to be determined how long he will be unavailable. He sustained a knee ligament sprain during training last week. Fortunately, surgery has been avoided—concerns had arisen when he felt a pop in the joint during practice in Paterna—but his recovery time will depend on his progress.

The fourth option was demonstrated in the starting lineup against Real Madrid: deploying Unai Núñez in a hybrid role as a third center-back or as a full-back while utilizing Rioja as a wing-back. For the derby on Sunday, this would necessitate starting César Tárrega, who has also been struggling with knee issues affecting his performance, due to Copete’s suspension.

Neither of the two options available from the youth team convincingly meets the current demands of the season. On one hand, Miguel Monferrer (2006) is a starter under Miguel Ángel Angulo, but he does not seem ready to make the leap to the first team. Another possibility is Pedro Gomes, who was signed in the winter transfer window for the youth team but has not been able to debut due to an ankle injury sustained in one of his initial training sessions.