Rayo Vallecano defender Luiz Felipe will miss the rest of the season after suffering a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The club confirmed the serious injury in a medical report on Wednesday, stating the Brazilian will need at least seven months to recover. This setback comes as the team sits 13th in La Liga with 8 points from two wins, two draws and three losses in seven games, and finds itself 16 points behind leaders Barcelona.
The 29-year-old, who joined Rayo last season from Olympique Marseille, had yet to make an appearance this campaign. He was in the final stage of recovering from a hamstring injury sustained last April in Athens and had even been named in the squad for last Saturday's match against Athletic Club, a goalless draw that is part of a recent run of two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five matches.
"Luiz Felipe says goodbye to the season," the player stated after the diagnosis. The absence is a significant setback for head coach Beñat San José, who sees his defensive options thin at a critical time. Pelayo, who began the season as the fifth-choice centre-back, now moves up to fourth choice. The team faces an important fixture away to 14th-placed Getafe this Saturday 17 October, a match that could help them pull away from the relegation places.
The franjirrojos face this adversity while sitting 13th in La Liga with 8 points from seven games, having scored 11 goals and conceded 16. Their next fixture is a trip to face 14th-placed Getafe this Saturday. In their last five matches, their form reads two wins, two draws and one loss (DDWLW).
Luiz Felipe, from São Paulo, played 17 matches last season, starting 14 of them. His injury history was frequent, though the club opted to retain him. Before his spells at Vallecas and Marseille, the defender played for Lazio, Betis and Al Ittihad. He now begins a long rehabilitation process aiming for a return next pre-season.
This story first appeared at larazon.es
