César Tárrega knee blow hastens centre-back search | OneFootball

César Tárrega’s left knee gave way in the first half at the Coliseum against Getafe, sharpening the push to sign a centre-back in January.

He had been managing discomfort for weeks and, after trying to continue with a bandage, asked to be replaced having gone down in the box. The club doctor signalled for a change, Tárrega wanted a little time, but the pain persisted and he went off on his own feet, with tests to determine the damage. According to Tribuna Deportiva, the Swiss defender Cömert is also carrying hamstring problems.

The setback adds further weight to a centre-back deal that has dragged through this window after knocking on numerous doors.

With Diakhaby ruled out for the rest of the season, Corberán currently has only two specialist centre-backs available, Copete and Cömert.

Corberán did not use either centre-back on the bench, Cömert or Panach. He instead moved Pepelu into defence and brought Santamaría into midfield. This was not improvised, Pepelu had trained at centre-back during the week because of Tárrega’s issues.

Source: AS