Borna Barisic lasted just TEN minutes on his La Liga debut after suffering a nightmare knee injury.
The ex-Rangers star completed a deadline-busting loan move to Leganes last week after a miserable six months with Turkish side Trabzonspor. But the Croatian left-back may have played his one and only game for the Spanish top-flight strugglers after tearing his ACL, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.
Luckless Barisic was left devastated after sustaining the serious injury in his side’s 2-0 defeat at the Mestalla Stadium on Sunday night. And his club have confirmed that the 32-year-old’s season is over.
A Leganes statement read: “After having to withdraw injured in this Sunday’s match between Valencia CF and CD Leganes at the Mestalla Stadium, and after undergoing tests this Monday, the Pepinero player Borna Barisic has been diagnosed with a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
“Barisic played his first minutes as a Leganes player in Valencia, after having joined the club last Monday, on the last day of the winter transfer market, on loan from Turkish side Trabzonspor. The club wishes the player a speedy recovery and best wishes.”
Barisic called time on his six years at Ibrox to join Trabzonspor at the end of his contract in the summer. The 35-times capped defender followed ex-Gers teammate John Lundstram to the Super Lig club. Yet while midfielder Lundstram has been a regular, Barisic struggled for minutes, starting just three games.
That forced him to look elsewhere in search of minutes and he was offered a temporary escape route by relegation-threatened Leganes – where he linked up with former Aberdeen star Duk. However, Barisic now faces months on the sidelines as he begins his lengthy road to recovery.