Unicaja’s start to the new basketball season has encountered a compounding wave of injuries and roster hurdles, leaving Txus Vidorreta with a severely depleted rotation just as official competition begins. What started in the preseason as a deep squad of 14 players with aspirations of reaching a club-record 15 active pieces has shrunk dramatically, reducing the active core to just ten healthy players from the initial roster, alongside newly signed guard Matt Thomas.
Preseason Setbacks and Surgical Interventions
The physical toll on the Unicaja roster began accumulating before the official games even tipped off. During a summer training session, Kalinoski suffered an ankle sprain while working his way back from hand issues that hampered him at the end of the previous campaign. Shortly afterward, in the club’s opening summer match in Melilla, Nzosa sustained a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his left foot during a contested play.
Nzosa underwent surgery on Thursday, September 3, with the club confirming a recovery timeline of at least three months, keeping him sidelined until December. Meanwhile, Dominican Tyson Pérez attempted to manage a persistent Achilles tendon issue through conservative treatment over the summer to avoid surgery. Although Pérez managed to appear in preseason friendlies, the pain has rendered him unable to continue.
In an appearance on the television program Zona Verde, Txus Vidorreta explained that Pérez will almost certainly require upcoming surgery, a procedure that could keep the forward sidelined until 2027.
Alberto Díaz Injury and Roster Quota Complications
The injury crisis deepened immediately upon the arrival of official competition. Alberto Díaz suffered a recurrence of his persistent hamstring injury—a muscle group that has plagued him since first tearing in 2018. The club confirmed that Díaz faces a recovery period of six to eight weeks, keeping him out of action until late November.
These absences have triggered immediate tactical and regulatory complications for Unicaja, particularly regarding national player quotas (cupos) required for the Basketball Champions League (BCL). With Díaz sidelined, the team faces difficulties meeting the requirement of having five home-formed national players available for the BCL opener against Juventus Utena, a shortage the club may temporarily bridge by calling up an academy player.
To address the backcourt shortage, Unicaja moved quickly to sign American guard Matt Thomas on a two-month contract with an option to extend for the remainder of the season. However, Thomas’s addition consumes the club’s second non-EU (extracomunitario) roster spot, temporarily blocking the management from bringing in another American player to reinforce the power forward or center positions.
Search for Frontcourt Reinforcements
Management continues to evaluate options to bolster the interior line. The club initially monitored potential roster cuts from NBA training camps, which typically conclude at the end of October. However, because Matt Thomas is contracted through November, an immediate additional signing remains complicated under current roster limits.
Among the names linked to the club is former Unicaja center Yankuba Sima, currently playing for Valencia. Sima’s profile would resolve two issues simultaneously by providing frontcourt depth while satisfying domestic quota requirements. The player recently expressed his desire to remain with Valencia under Juan Roig, leaving negotiations unresolved.
Upcoming Schedule and Competitive Outlook
Unicaja enters its upcoming fixtures with both a shortened rotation and urgent squad adjustments. The team travels to face Juventus Utena on Wednesday in its opening fixture of the Basketball Champions League campaign, where Vidorreta’s side will test its adapted depth against continental competition.
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