Manuel Pellegrini, the manager of Real Betis, has opted not to start Moroccan international Abdelhamid Zalzouli in their recent match against Osasuna, which they won 2-1 in La Liga's 10th round. Pellegrini revealed that he chose to keep Zalzouli on the bench to avoid any risk of injury, given his heavy playing time at the season's start and his recent participation with the Moroccan national team.
Pellegrini expressed his hopes of managing Zalzouli's workload: "I wish we could play this match without Zalzouli, as he has played a lot and participated in two matches with his country. We experienced a similar situation with Lo Celso, who got injured after playing for his national team. Both players hardly participated in pre-season matches, and I hope this doesn't happen with Zalzouli."
Reports suggest that Zalzouli is attracting interest from other La Liga clubs for a potential loan in the upcoming winter transfer window, but Pellegrini strongly refuses to let him go, considering him crucial to the team's plans, especially as he is showing continuous improvement this season.
This season, Zalzouli has played 13 matches for Real Betis across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing one assist, establishing himself as a significant threat to opposing defenses. He has a contract with the club until the summer of 2028, making Betis his third La Liga club, following stints at Barcelona and Osasuna.
Besides his club commitments, Zalzouli has participated in 19 matches for the Moroccan national team, scoring twice, and played seven matches with the U23 team, helping them win the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations and secure a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
