Mantilla says goodbye to the season

Racing defender Mantilla suffered an ACL tear in his right knee during the match against Real Madrid and will undergo surgery, ruling him out for the season.

Mantilla was injured in the 25th minute at El Sardinero when he collided with Real Madrid's Cucurella while chasing a long ball, causing a bad landing on his right leg. He immediately fell to the ground in pain, and medical staff attended to him before he was substituted by Pedro Felipe.

Initial assessments suggested an anterior cruciate ligament injury, a suspicion confirmed when teammates Eder Militao and Íñigo Sainz-Maza, both ACL injury veterans, checked on him. Atlético Alagoinhas manager José Alberto expressed concern after the match: "I hope it's the least serious, but it looks bad. It's the worst news we take from today because he's a very important player for us."

MRI scans on Monday confirmed the ACL tear. Mantilla will require surgery and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Racing now faces a defensive crisis at right-back, with no other specialist in that position on the squad. Manager Alberto will need to adapt alternatives such as Pablo Ramón, Manu Hernando, Íñigo Sainz-Maza, or Iker Luque.