October 26, (THEWILL) – After suffering a left knee injury in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Leicester City, Brentford goalkeeper David Raya will be sidelined for four to five months.
The 26-year-old was injured in a collision with Leicester’s Ayoze Perez during the last stages of the encounter but surgery is not expected according to the club.
Raya’s absence puts Alvaro Fernandez in the spotlight. The 23-year-old joined Brentford on loan from Huesca in the summer and may have the chance to impress further while Raya recovers.
Since joining Brentford from Spain, Fernandez has started every Premier League encounter for the Bees on the bench, but played in the Carabao Cup victories over Forest Green Rovers and Oldham Athletic. In both games, he had a perfect record.
Regarding Raya’s injury, Neil Greig, Brentford’s head of medical, said: “David has unfortunately sustained an injury to the Posterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee. The issue will require a prolonged period of time to heal and for David to then regain function and strength around the joint.
“Positively, this type of injury usually heals well without the need for surgery. David has already begun using a brace specifically designed to aid this process.
“We anticipate the recovery period for an injury like this to be somewhere between four and five months, which will enable David to be back to his previous high levels well before the end of the season.”
In a 2-1 defeat to Leicester on Sunday, Brentford backline switched off for Ben Chilwell’s goal against Chelsea, and it was the same for second of Leicester’s goals.
They need to avoid focus lapses now more than ever, especially with Raya out of contention.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
