Deportivo lose top scorer Aubameyang to knee surgery

Deportivo La Coruna's fine start to the LaLiga season has hit a significant bump: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the club's top scorer, needs surgery on a meniscus injury in his right knee and faces an extended spell on the sidelines.

The 37-year-old has been the spearhead of Deportivo's attack since the campaign began, weighing in with five goals and two assists in the opening rounds — form that helped establish the promoted side in the top half of the table.

What surgery means for the timeline

Meniscus repairs are notoriously dependent on the procedure chosen: a trim can mean weeks, a full repair months. Until surgeons assess the damage, Deportivo are declining to put a firm date on his return, but the club accept their leading marksman will miss a decisive chunk of the autumn programme either way.

Filling the gap

Losing a striker who has scored five of the goals that dragged Deportivo through the opening weeks is about the worst news the Riazor could have received. The squad's other forwards now carry the burden of proving the promoted side can score without him, starting with the fixtures immediately after the international break.

Aubameyang's own resilience should not be underestimated. His career has taken him from Saint-Etienne to Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona, Marseille and now A Coruna, and he has repeatedly answered doubts about his longevity with goals. Deportivo will hope that pattern holds through another rehabilitation.

OneLightScore will track Aubameyang's recovery and Deportivo's team news, lineups and injury updates through every matchday of the LaLiga season.