Deiola undergoes meniscus surgery, Cagliari lose their captain for a month: what to do with a locked-in starting defender

Cagliari will be without their captain for about a month. Alessandro Deiola underwent surgery today on his left knee: he had been feeling discomfort, scans found a tear in the lateral meniscus, and the club opted for arthroscopic surgery. The statement describes the operation as a complete success; after a few days of rest, rehabilitation will begin.

Sources agree on the timeline. ANSA writes of at least a month out, while Sky Sport places the return in the last days of October or the first days of November, depending on how the first phase of recovery goes. Serie A resumes on 10 October, which means Deiola will in all likelihood miss the first two or three matchdays after the break, possibly more.

An absence that weighs more than the name suggests

For Cagliari this is no ordinary injury. Deiola, born in 1995, started all five league matches this season, with Pisacane shifting him into central defence out of necessity. It worked: as Corriere dello Sport notes, Cagliari have conceded just two goals in five matchdays, the best defensive record in Europe so far this season, and the captain has been a key part of it, paired with Rodriguez.

Who takes his place will be decided by Pisacane over the next two weeks. In our price list, Cagliari's next most valued defenders after him are Mina and Obert, both at 9, then Ze Pedro at 7.

What changes for fantacalcio

Here is the key point. In our price list Deiola is listed as a defender, even though he came through as a midfielder, and that made him one of the best value picks of the season: valued at 5, up two points since the start of the campaign, and a guaranteed starting shirt every Sunday. A defender who always plays and costs little is exactly what a squad needs to round out that department.

For a month that spot is uncovered. If you have a defender on your bench who plays regularly, you are fine: field him in Deiola's place from the first matchday after the break. If you do not, it is worth looking straight at Cagliari. Whoever replaces Deiola at the heart of the defence will also inherit his fixtures, and if the department keeps conceding little, his replacement should bring above-average ratings.

There is no reason to drop him, though. The return is expected before the second November break, and a starting defender valued at 5 remains useful for the rest of the season. Keeping him on the roster costs nothing more than a bench spot for a few weeks.