Diego López is reportedly set for a third operation on his right knee, according to an AS report published on 2 October 2026 and attributed to COPE Valencia. Valencia CF has confirmed his right-knee ACL injury and a surgery on 10 June, but its statements cited here do not confirm the later procedures.
What is reported about the third operation?
AS reported, citing COPE Valencia, that López would undergo a third operation on his right knee. The same report says he had a second operation in August to address adhesions in the operated knee. Those August and upcoming procedures are secondary reporting, not details confirmed in the Valencia CF medical statements cited here.
What Valencia CF has confirmed
Right-knee ACL injury
On 24 May 2026, Valencia CF said López had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee during the match against FC Barcelona at Mestalla. The club said treatment would be determined in the following hours.
June operation
On 10 June, the club reported that the ACL injury had been operated on successfully at Clínica Olympia in Madrid. Dr Manuel Leyes and his team performed the procedure under the supervision of Pedro López, director of Valencia CF’s medical department.
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Earlier injury was to the other knee
Valencia CF had separately reported a sprain to the medial collateral ligament in López’s left knee on 17 February 2026, sustained during training. The club said he would receive medical treatment, physiotherapy and rehabilitation at its facilities until sufficient clinical improvement. This was a different injury from the later right-knee ACL injury.
When could López return?
AS said López had initially been expected to return in the first months of 2027, and that the newly reported procedure could extend his recovery. The report did not give a revised return date, so early 2027 should be treated as an initial expectation, not a confirmed timetable.
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Confirmed club record and reported developments
| Detail | Status in the sources cited |
|---|---|
| Right-knee ACL injury, sustained against Barcelona on 24 May | Confirmed by Valencia CF on 24 May 2026 |
| ACL operation on 10 June | Confirmed by Valencia CF |
| Second operation for adhesions in August | Reported by AS, citing COPE Valencia; not confirmed in the club statements cited here |
| Third operation planned | Reported by AS on 2 October 2026, citing COPE Valencia; not confirmed in the club statements cited here |
| Revised return date | Not stated in the AS report |
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