Real Betis forward Cucho Hernández was withdrawn at halftime during Wednesday’s La Liga clash against Girona due to knee discomfort, the club confirmed through match officials. The Colombian striker informed the Betis medical staff in the dressing room at the break, prompting manager Manuel Pellegrini to make the precautionary substitution.

The decision to remove Hernández came after he reported feeling unwell during the first half at Montilivi. According to the match report from ABC.es, the forward “informed the medical team in the dressing room of this discomfort and Pellegrini and his assistants decided not to risk his participation in the second half.”

Hernández, who wears the number 19 jersey for Betis, had been the team’s starting striker and undisputed number nine prior to the substitution. His absence forced Pellegrini to adjust the attacking lineup, bringing on Bakambu who immediately impacted the game by providing the assist for Betis’ third goal.

The substitution of Hernández was not the only change made by Betis at halftime. Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was also replaced, though his substitution was described as “programmed” rather than injury-related. Lo Celso had only recently returned to action following a three-month absence due to injury, having played just 15 minutes the previous week at El Sadar before featuring for 45 minutes against Girona.

Betis’ victory at Girona came at a challenging time in their schedule, with the team facing a quick turnaround before their next fixture. As noted in the match report, “the verdiblancos barely have recovery time after winning in Girona by 2-3, given that they will play this Friday at La Cartuja against Real Madrid.”

Hernández’s international experience includes seven appearances for the Colombia national team, scoring two goals. His professional career began at Deportivo Pereira in 2015 at age 15, followed by loan spells at Watford, Huesca, Mallorca, and Getafe before his move to Columbus Crew and subsequent transfer to Betis.