Tyson Pérez ended the BCL third-place game against La Laguna Tenerife with an injury. The Final Four of the BCL in Badalona 2026 was anything but calm for Unicaja. Off-court noise dominated, and there was little basketball on the floor, especially in the semifinals. To make matters worse, the team returned with two injured players: Tyson Pérez and Emir Sulejmanovic, in addition to Nihad Djedovic, who did not even suit up due to a pre-existing soleus issue.
Ibon Navarro provided some insight on the situation after the third-place game. That match, it must be said, is rather dispensable within the continental competition. First, due to player health. Tyson Pérez had to leave the game in the second quarter against La Laguna Tenerife with a calf problem. Second, because of fan interest, which is negligible. There is a financial prize, true, but at this stage of the season, sporting concerns should take precedence over monetary ones.
The Vitoria-born coach, who left Sulejmanovic out of the bronze game squad, explained that the Bosnian power forward “has a small issue with his Achilles. He had a test on Friday, and the doctors thought it best not to push him.” As for the Dominican-Spanish player, he only played 6:10 minutes against Tenerife due to a knock that forced him to stop. “His left calf tightened up and became inflamed. In the end, the players make an effort to be here. I’ve always said that the fact Tyson Pérez is playing in this Final Four is a miracle. He wanted to, and that must be appreciated. Hopefully it’s nothing. But he couldn’t return to the game,” Ibon added.
Upon landing on the Costa del Sol on Sunday around 2:10 PM, Tyson Pérez went directly from the airport to Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital for initial medical tests. The forward wore protection on the affected area and was even limping noticeably. Nevertheless, his feelings improved compared to the hours after the match, as the calf was less stiff. On Monday morning, he underwent an MRI to assess the exact extent of the injury. According to the club, both Tyson Pérez and Sulejmanovic will undergo further tests on Tuesday to determine a definitive diagnosis and establish recovery timelines.
These are sensitive absences for the decisive stretch of the season, especially combined with the already known loss of Djedovic and the situation of Chris Duarte, who has been provisionally sidelined after the opening of a disciplinary file and suspension from employment. This scenario forces Unicaja to face key weeks with a heavily conditioned rotation. As Ibon Navarro stated, “Surely the club is looking for something because it is ambitious. It knows we have a lot at stake, and we have to fight until the end to make the playoffs.” The club is active in the market, studying any option that arises, but it’s difficult to find someone willing to come for three or four weeks and be able to help. Juanma Rodríguez and Ibon Navarro are searching. We’ll see if they find something in time.
