First, a tribute to Fuentes, who came on yesterday to groans from Villarreal fans across the world after favored Gonzalo went down with a knee injury early in the match. He was not everywhere at once, and I am sure when I watch the match a second time, I will see a number of missed markings. But he still came on and held the central defense together at a time when Villarreal needed it the most. And that's not even mentioning his goal. It reminded me of the goal he scored to secure a spot in Europe at the death of the 2006-2007 season. Great match from him yesterday.
Rumors today are that there is Argentinian interest in Fuentes' services. Admittedly, despite his great match yesterday, it is approaching the time for him to move on. He is 32 years old and still just off a major knee injury. I would be very surprised to see him back for another year. All that said, though, we cannot let him go during the winter break - he is our only reliable depth in central defense.