He Betis faces 2026 more alive than ever, immersed in the fight for all its objectives in the three competitions under the leadership of a renewed Manuel Pellegrini willing to pulverize all the records of the entity with the endorsement that he … His successful five years amassed in Heliópolis, with the team always in Europe, a Copa del Rey title and a continental final behind him are among the most brilliant achievements of the Chilean strategist. For many, he manages the best team in green and white history, a thesis that can be discussed with that Betis de Serra of the late nineties that, it must be said, failed to make any money. The merit of Pellegrini now, and of the 2025-26 project in general, goes further. The veteran coach has his troops at the forefront and aspiring to everything without the significant contribution expected from his two best players: the injured Isco and the diluted Lo Celsothe latter a leader whose present is torn between raising his hand and pulling the wagon from the incontestable quality he possesses or taking the definitive step back from leaving Betis and wiping his mind on a new destination. There the siren of the Inter Miami from your friend Messi and the boss David Beckhameager to announce his next bombshell in Fort Lauderdale to continue pleasing the star from Rosario, the same Argentine city that saw the birth of Betis’ ’20’. Everything, at the gates of a World Cup… in the United States.
But Lo Celso’s challenge in the Cartuja is just as big or bigger. With a contract until 2028 at Betis, he once again has the chance to be the emblem of a powerful Real Betis. He already demonstrated it as soon as he returned to the thirteen bars club in his second stage. When it started last 2024-25con Isco Out of action due to his first fibula injury, the Argentine took the reins with a brilliant start to the campaign, orchestrating the Green and White’s offensive football with great quality and producing spectacular figures for a midfielder. Lo Celso scored five consecutive goals in four daysreplacing the magician of Arroyo de la Miel with an extraordinary performance. Unfortunately, that version of the Rosario player has not appeared again in Heliópolis.
While, Isco Alarcon He underwent surgery last Monday in Madrid to correct the intra-articular injury in the cartilage area of his right ankle that occurred on November 27 after the violent collision with his teammate Sofyan Amrabat in the Europa League match against Utrecht. The player had tried to avoid surgery by carrying out conservative treatment with injections of growth factors. It didn’t work and he finally had to undergo surgery. The club avoids giving deadlines. At the very least, Isco will be another month off which adds to the one who has already not trained with his teammates since the unfortunate incident with Amrabat.
From the outside, there are specialized medical opinions, of great weight, that point to a longer period of inactivity for the Malaga footballer. The prestigious doctor, expert in sports medicine, Dr. Pedro Ripollspeaks without going any further than a loss of more than nine weeks: «If the articular cartilage is touched, especially if it is on the internal part of the talus, which has a worse prognosis than the external part, then the circumstances vary significantly and we can be talking about injuries in general longer than two months. More than two months to start training. Two or three months. Yes, yes, it would be an excellent prognosis for Isco to return to training in two or three months, yes, because there is no need to pressure the player,” stated the Murcian doctor.
The season passes for Betis without its best player. Isco Alarcón, the emblem, has barely been able to compete 39 minutes officials so far this campaign. He played the nine minutes he was on the pitch against Utrecht before leaving injured and half an hour in LaLiga against Girona, where the club announced his renewal until 2028. Meanwhile, who everyone has pointed out as his replacement, Giovani Lo Celsohas not done well at all on the physical level either. Not in vain, injuries have recently reduced the Argentine’s participation with Pellegrini’s team, playing just 83 minutes in Betis’ last four games since he had to retire due to muscle discomfort at half-time of the game against Girona. Since then, Lo Celso has been nothing more than an almost residual resource for the coach coming off the bench. That situation has to change, for better or worse.
Happy at Betis
Lo Celso is happy at the club and Betis needs him. More than ever. But if the Argentine doesn’t get up with his best version, the option of change of scenery It seems like a good solution for all parties. In this situation, an offer that slightly exceeds five million euros would not be frowned upon by the Betic board to seal a transfer of the international, since that figure would cover the pending amortization of his signing from Tottenham and would free up another five million of his annual salary in the salary bill. This would give Fajardo’s sports management room to articulate movements in the market in order to shore up the team. It must be remembered that Betis moves, at the very least, through a center forward and needs to generate economic space as its president, Ángel Haro, already warned.
In principle, and as reported yesterday ABCthe club’s roadmap in this sense is clear and will not vary due to Isco’s injury or a hypothetical departure of Giovani Lo Celso. That is, Betis does not plan to go to the winter market to sign a playmaker. Obviously, all transfer windows are changing and may change some initial ideas or opportunities arise, but it is understood on the noble floor of the Cartuja that the position is well covered with Pablo Forals, Deossa and the versatility of Riquelme, especially when Abde returns from the African Cup. The results are supporting it. Obviously, if Lo Celso gets on that bandwagon, Betis will be even better.
