Things are not going well for Unicaja, and the situation could worsen. After sidelining Chris Duarte for 10 days due to disciplinary issues—a move that likely ends his time with the team—the Malaga club now misses three more players due to injury.
Having failed to win the Basketball Champions League title for a third straight season, Unicaja faces a difficult end to the regular campaign, with their eighth-place playoff spot at risk. The depleted roster has forced coach Ibon Navarro to call up youth player Manu Trujillo again.
The new injuries add to the existing absence of Nihad Djedovic, who has been sidelined for weeks. Tyson Pérez is dealing with a calf strain in his left leg and will be reevaluated next week, while Bosnian big man Emir Sulejmanovic is suffering from a tendinopathy in his right Achilles tendon and is expected to rest for at least this week.
As for Chris Duarte, negotiations are underway with his agents regarding an exit from the club following a series of disciplinary incidents throughout the season.
The bad news for Unicaja is that they face two ACB games this week, both extremely challenging: Thursday they visit Burgos, a venue where they historically struggle, and Sunday they travel to Murcia to take on UCAM Murcia, which is aiming to secure second place in the standings.
