Beto, Barbosa present Sevilla with keeping crisis
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Article summary
Sevilla FC may turn to reserve-team goalkeeper Sergio Rico when they begin their title defence against Feyenoord after Beto and Mariano Barbosa were injured.
Article top media content
Article body
Despite the new season having barely begun, Sevilla FC coach Unai Emery has already been hit with an injury crisis in goal and will be forced to turn to the club's youth team for help as they begin their UEFA Europa League defence against Feyenoord on Thursday 18 September.
The holders lost first-choice goalkeeper, and 2014 final hero, Beto for a month after he sustained a hamstring injury in the first Liga game of the season with Valencia CF. And now the club have confirmed that second-choice stopper Mariano Barbosa ruptured his thigh muscles following the 2-1 win at RCD Espanyol last Saturday, ruling him out of action for between four and six weeks.
With the transfer window shut, Emery is set to turn to 21-year-old Sergio Rico, who was on the bench at Espanyol and usually plays in the club's third-tier reserve side Sevilla Atlético. David Soria, also 21, is the alternative.
Rico has never played for Sevilla in a competitive game but carried out pre-season training with the first team over the summer, though he has already represented Atlético this term despite being in Emery's senior squad. Sevilla, like all teams in the UEFA Europa League, must submit the squad for the group stage by 24.00CET on Tuesday, according to article 18.13(e) of the official regulations.
