Villarreal have suffered yet another injury blow ahead of this week's Champions League visit of Manchester City with the news that defender Cristian Zapata is also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Colombia international, a summer signing from Udinese who has started 14 matches this season, has sprained the ligaments in his right knee and is set to miss around five weeks, according to the Primera Division club's website.
The loss of Zapata comes after Sunday's news that Cani, Marco Ruben and Marcos Senna will all be unavailable for Wednesday's clash with City after suffering injuries during Saturday's 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
Cani will be out for around six weeks after also suffering a sprained right knee, Ruben has an adductor injury which could see him miss next weekend's game with Espanyol as well, while Senna felt a twinge in his hamstring and will be rested as a precaution.
Javier Camunas is also a doubt for midweek due to a lower leg injury sustained against Rayo as the headaches continue to mount for Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido, who was already without star strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar.
Rossi will be out of action for around six months after suffering a serious knee injury against Real Madrid last week, while Nilmar is still on the comeback trail after undergoing an operation to remove a knee cyst at the start of the month.
Villarreal's injury problems have coincided with a poor start to the season with the win over Rayo only their second in the league this season to lift them out of the relegation zone.
Garrido's side have also lost all three of their Champions
League pool matches and are four points adrift at the bottom of
Group A.
