Facundo Garcés suffers ACL tear, season in doubt, blow for Alavés before hosting Valencia | OneFootball

Deportivo Alavés confirmed on Tuesday a serious knee injury for Facundo Garcés. The club said in a statement that the Argentine defender has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will undergo surgery in the coming days.

He suffered the injury during training at Ibaia, with tests later confirming the diagnosis. Barring an unusually quick recovery, he could miss almost the entire 2026/27 campaign.

The timing is especially cruel. The centre-back was nearing the end of a 12-month suspension that has kept him out of official matches, with a return pencilled in for early November. He had not played a minute this season.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed on 5 March 2026 a 12-month ban for the use of falsified documentation in his naturalisation process with Malaysia’s national team. The suspension began in September 2025 and is scheduled to end on 5 November after a pause in its application.

Alavés’ problems deepen as midfielder Mikel Rodríguez recently sustained an almost identical ACL rupture in his right knee during training and faces months out. The setback comes days after a 5-2 win over Osasuna that delivered the club’s best ever start in Primera División, three wins and one draw from the first four matches. Valencia visit Mendizorroza soon.

Attention now turns to Garcés’ operation and a long rehabilitation. The club have set no timetable, so any estimates remain provisional until after surgery and his subsequent progress.

Source: Superdeporte

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