Real Betis goalkeeper Diego Conde injured his left shoulder during the friendly against Granada and will be out for several weeks, according to initial medical examinations.
Real Betis Balompié has raised alarms regarding their goalkeeping situation ahead of the season start. Goalkeeper Diego Conde suffered a left shoulder injury during the friendly match played this Saturday against Granada CF at the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium, and initial examinations suggest a recovery period of several weeks.
The incident occurred in the 34th minute of the match when Conde came out of the area to clear a ball and collided with his teammate Diego Llorente. The goalkeeper had to be substituted and left the stadium with his arm in a sling, which already indicated the seriousness of the setback.
Club sources have confirmed that the Madrid-born keeper will undergo a thorough evaluation in the coming hours after returning to Seville. The Betis medical team is anticipating a prognosis of several weeks out, which seriously jeopardises his participation in the league opener. Conde, who joined this summer from Villarreal, had earned the trust of Manuel Pellegrini during pre-season.
In light of this situation, the Chilean coach has rearranged his plans for the goalkeeping position. Álvaro Valles, who also signed this summer, will take over as the starter in the upcoming friendly matches. Youngster Manu González, a recent under-19 European champion, will join the squad for the Marbella training camp, where the team will continue their preparations.
Betis faces the coming weeks with uncertainty about when they will be able to count on Conde again. The club hopes that the work of the physiotherapists during August can shorten the recovery time, but everything will depend on the results of the diagnostic tests conducted in the coming hours.
The green-and-white fans are closely following the progress of a player expected to be important this season. Meanwhile, Pellegrini will need to adjust his plans for the league start with Valles as the first option and the youth academy as an immediate resource.
The match against Granada, which was part of the summer preparation, has left a bittersweet taste in the Betis dressing room. Beyond the injury, the team showed good signs in their readiness, but Conde's absence forces a reorganisation of internal plans.
Betis is scheduled to travel to Marbella in the coming days to complete their pre-season camp, where they will face significant opponents. There, Álvaro Valles will have the opportunity to prove he can take on the starting role while waiting for his teammate's recovery.
Conde, for his part, will immediately begin his rehabilitation process with the aim of minimising his time out. A shoulder injury is one of the most feared for a goalkeeper, as it directly affects stretching and throwing movements. Nevertheless, the club trusts in the player's professionalism to face this adversity.
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