Abde Ezzalzouli Faces Setback Ahead of Champions League

Abde Ezzalzouli’s Champions League hopes have taken an untimely hit.

On the eve of Real Betis’s return to Europe’s top table, Manuel Pellegrini has left the Morocco international out of his squad for Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League clash with Lille.

The Chilean coach announced his travelling party on Sunday. Ezzalzouli’s name was missing. In his place, the list leaned heavily on established figures: Isco, Giovani Lo Celso, Antony and Dani Ceballos all included as Betis gear up for the opening round of the new league-phase format.

For Ezzalzouli, the timing could hardly be worse.

He had already sat out Betis’s recent La Liga meeting with Real Madrid, ruled out by a viral infection just as he was trying to re-establish rhythm after earlier physical problems. The winger had only just stepped back onto the pitch, getting a brief run-out against Levante in the previous round, a small but important step in his recovery.

Then the setback returned. The same viral issue has now cost him not only the Madrid game but also a place in the group heading into Betis’s first European night of the season.

It leaves the 22-year-old facing an early-season battle on two fronts: his own fitness, and the fight to reclaim a spot in Pellegrini’s plans at a time when competition for attacking places is fierce and the club’s calendar is filling fast.

With Betis now juggling domestic duties and the demands of the Champions League, chances will come. The question for Ezzalzouli is simple: how quickly can he get back to full sharpness and turn those chances into a permanent seat at Europe’s top table?