Striker blow adds to Betis woe
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Article summary
Portuguese striker Joao Tomás has become the eighth Real Betis Balompié player to be operated on this season.
Article body
Knee trouble
Tomás underwent keyhole surgery on his left knee in a bid to cure the cartilage problem which had sidelined him for three weeks. The 27-year-old is unlikely to play again this term as he faces a recovery period of at least a month. "The injury was not responding to treatment, so we decided to go ahead with the operation," said Betis club doctor Tomás Calero.
Leading scorer
Tomás, who joined Betis from SL Benfica two summers ago, was the Seville club's leading scorer in 2001/02 but has struggled to make an impact this season, starting just five first-team matches. His is the latest serious injury to affect Betis's campaign, with seven other players - Belenguer, Benjamín, Rivas, Alfonso, Capi, Denilson, and César - having also gone under the surgeon's knife.
