Pellegrini ends Lo Celso controversy with Betis Copa del Rey recall

Manuel Pellegrini has recalled Argentine midfielder Lo Celso to Betis’ Copa del Rey squad for Thursday’s clash with Navalcarnero, insisting there are no issues. The 30‑year‑old had missed the previous Betis‑Elche fixture after being an unused substitute, prompting speculation that he was out of favour.

Pellegrini quells doubts

In his latest press conference Pellegrini said, “Estoy sin ningún tipo de problemas con Gio”. He added that there is “no problem” with Gio Lo Celso and that his selection is based on weekly training performance. Pellegrini explained that his squad consists of 25 players and he chooses those who have impressed in training for each match. He noted that for the previous Elche‑Betis game other players had performed better in training, which is why Celso was omitted.

Recent appearances and selection history

Lo Celso, who started against Barcelona, was noted by EFE as a starter in that 5‑2 defeat on 17 October, where a controversial goal was disallowed. Three days later he featured for ten minutes in a 1‑0 Champions League victory over Feyenoord. Four days after that he added 22 minutes in a 0‑0 La Liga draw with Celta.

He then failed to feature in the subsequent matches against Málaga and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, remaining an unused substitute. The Saturday before the Elche visit, Pellegrini decided not to call him, citing no physical problems.

The 30‑year‑old is contracted to Betis until mid‑2028. Alongside Celso, former Vélez player Valentín Gómez was also named in the Copa del Rey squad. During Lionel Scalon’s post‑World Cup squad renewal, Celso was only considered for Lionel Messi’s farewell match against Benín. He was also omitted from the upcoming FIFA window fixtures against Uruguay and Costa Rica.

The story was reported by Olé, with EFE confirming his Barcelona start.