Tomás Mendes will rejoin Deportivo Alavés's reserve team until the next January transfer window to complete his recovery from a serious injury. The 22-year-old midfielder is aiming to regain full fitness after undergoing surgery on his hip in February of this year.
The academy graduate, who joined Alavés at age 13, was loaned to Portuguese side Alverca last season. He managed only five appearances before physical issues, first thought to be muscular, revealed a more complex condition. The surgery and subsequent rehab ruled him out of contention during the recent summer transfer window.
Mendes has since worked intensively with a physiotherapist. He has progressed to running alone and is nearing a return to team training. His coach with the reserves, Molo Casas, confirmed his imminent availability. "Everything points to him being available for Molo Casas as one more player soon," the Miniglorias boss said.
A key deadline
The player now has three months, until January, to approach his previous level. This period is critical for his future at the club, as his contract with Alavés expires in June 2027. Mendes signed a four-year renewal in 2023, after making his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey in 2021.
His return comes as the senior squad battles to stay in the upper reaches of the table. Alavés sit sixth in La Liga with 11 points, following a start to the season of three wins, two draws, and two losses. Their next fixture is a demanding home match against second-placed Atlético Madrid on October 10th.
The reserve team, competing in the 2ª RFEF, bounced back from an opening loss to Coruxo with wins against Llanera and Oviedo Vetusta. Mendes's addition aims to bring offensive experience to a side seeking consistency. To track the progress of all academy players, visit the squad section. The midfielder, who holds a Guinean passport and was born in Almería, has until the winter window closes to prove he is ready for the final step up.
More detail at Diario de Noticias de Álava
