Deportivo Alavés will not make an emergency signing following the serious injury to Argentine centre-back Facundo Garcés. The club, sitting second in La Liga with 10 points, will rely on its current squad until the winter transfer window opens in December.
Head coach Quique Sánchez Flores confirmed the decision on Friday ahead of the match against Racing Santander. "We are going to wait. We have had a conversation between the coaches and the sporting direction and we have concluded with Sergio that we think the best thing is to wait for the December market," the manager stated. The injury to Garcés, added to that of Mikel Rodríguez, is a significant blow to Alavés's defence.
An unprecedented double blow
The start of the season has been marked by two serious injuries in a short period. Mikel Rodríguez has already undergone surgery and Garcés now faces a complicated recovery. Sánchez Flores acknowledged the harshness of the situation. "Unfortunately, I had never experienced two players getting injured so seriously in the same training session. The truth is it's very tough," he explained. Despite this, the technical staff and the sporting direction, led by Sergio Fernández, have chosen to stick to the original plan.
Faith in internal options
The coach believes the team has sufficient resources to handle the coming months without an external addition. Some players may alternate positions to cover the gap left by the Argentine defender. Also, the youngster Izei, from the reserve team, impressed during pre-season and is gaining consideration for the first team. The strategy is to calmly evaluate the market and seek a signing in December that genuinely improves the squad, rather than rushing now into a market the coach does not consider favourable.
The team faces its fifth league match this Saturday away to Racing Santander, whom they drew 1-1 with on the opening matchday. Holding second place in the table and on a run of three wins and two draws in their last five games, Alavés aims to maintain its strong start. Fans can check the full schedule and squad evolution on our fixtures and squad pages. The upcoming international break will be key for readjusting the team ahead of the long campaign.
