Kily absence weakens Valencia

Kily González has been ruled out for around five weeks after sustaining a knee injury against Athletic Club Bilbao yesterday. The midfield player will miss the UEFA Champions League Group B decider against Arsenal FC on Wednesday.

Karanka challenge
The 28-year-old came on as a substitute in the 1-0 loss to Bilbao, but was being carried off on a stretcher minutes after his arrival following a challenge by Aitor Karanka. Tests this morning revealed that the Argentinian had damaged ligaments in his left knee.

Vicente benefits
Kily has experienced a stop-start 2002/03 season. After recovering from surgery on a heel injury, he lost his place in the Spanish champions' first team to Vicente Rodríguez. Now, after winning back that position, Kily faces more time on the sidelines.

One goal
A member of uefa.com's Team of the Year for 2001, the loss of Kily, who has scored once in six Champions League games this term, will be immediately felt with Arsenal arriving at the Mestalla for a crunch fixture in Group B.

Win or bust
The English side will qualify for the quarter-finals if they win or draw, while anything other than a win would see Valencia eliminated. Should Valencia progress, Kily would probably miss both legs of the quarter-final as the second is scheduled to be played on 22/23 April.