Isco Alarcón has been included in the Real Betis squad by manager Manuel Pellegrini for Thursday’s Europa League fixture against Braga, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg last week. This marks his first call-up since November 27th, when he sustained an injury during a match against Utrecht, though he had already missed a significant portion of the season prior to that. The 33-year-old winger and attacking midfielder, who previously played for Real Madrid from 2013 to 2022 before joining Betis in 2023, has been plagued by a string of injuries in recent months, which have sidelined him for most of the current campaign. He initially fractured his fibula during a pre-season friendly in August 2025. Just four days after his return, he suffered another injury during a challenge with Amrabat, and was not expected to reappear until late in the season.
Last year, Isco was named the best player in the Conference League despite Betis’s 4-1 defeat in the final against Chelsea. The team is aiming to reach another European final this year, at a higher level, but first must overcome Braga in Seville. Isco, who represented Spain at the 2018 World Cup, was notably left out of the squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2020. He was injured before Euro 2024 but made a return under Luis de la Fuente for the Nations League finals in 2025. His inclusion for the upcoming World Cup 2026 next month remains highly uncertain.