On-loan Valencia playmaker Sergio Canales is set to be sidelined for six months after suffering his second serious knee injury of the season.
GettyImagesSergio Canales is stretchered off during Valencia’s defeat to Atletico Madrid
• Europa League round-up
Canales was replaced just before the hour-mark of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, and Valencia’s medical chief Jordi Candel confirmed on Friday that he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The 21-year-old, who joined Valencia on a two-season loan from Real Madrid last summer, had only recently returned to action after partially tearing the same ligament during in a league match against Athletic Bilbao in October.
Valencia lost Thursday night’s match 1-0 to tumble out of the Europa League 5-2 on aggregate.
