Las Palmas’ hopes of avoiding relegation from La Liga have taken a hammer blow, as they are about to lose a key player for the rest of the season. The Gran Canaria-based side, who had been rock bottom before the arrival of head coach Diego Martinez, are only two points outside of the bottom three after 22 matchdays, as they currently sit in 15th place.

It has been a struggle for Las Palmas in recent weeks as they have lost four of their last five matches across all competitions. Things are not getting any better, as they are about to lose captain Kirian Rodriguez for the remainder of the season.

As per ReliefKirian will reveal during a press conference on Thursday morning that he will be stepping away from football for the time being due to health reasons. The exact issue is not known, nor is it likely to be revealed unless the player himself chooses to do so.

Unfortunately for Kirian, it is not the first time that he has suffered with health problems. Back in August 2022, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is a type of blood cancer that starts in white blood cells, known as lymphocytes. On that occasion, he was away from football for eight months, before returning to action in April 2023.

Kirian’s absence is a very big blow for Las Palmas, although the first thoughts are of course with him and his family during this difficult period. Martinez will be without his captain, who is one of the leaders on the pitch.

A small silver lining for Las Palmas is that they have sufficient cover for Kirian’s absence. They signed Stefan Bajcetic on loan from Liverpool during the final days of the winter transfer window, and he is alongside Javo Munoz, Enzo Loiodice and Dario Essugo as central midfield options.