The tough end to the season for Las Palmas has been sweetened by the best possible news for the Canary Islanders as they prepare themselves for the season in Segunda again. Captain Kirian Rodriguez is back in training.
The 29-year-old midfielder was forced to halt his season in February, when a routine check-up revealed that Rodriguez was dealing with lymphatic cancer. Handled with little fuss by the Las Palmas captain, he quickly left to deal with the issue through a course of chemotherapy.
Kirian Rodriguez given medical all clear
Rodriguez has been given the medical all clear though, as reported by Cadena Cope. The club announced as much on their social media, noting that ‘with the same commitment and that energy that is contagious, the journey back begins’.
🔛 ¡El reencuentro con el balón! ⚽️#PretemporadaUD #SeremosMásUnión #LaUniónHaceLasPalmas | @BeCordialHotels pic.twitter.com/hbUcWqWyOA
— UD Las Palmas (@UDLP_Oficial) July 9, 2025
Kirian was seen in preseason training with the rest of his teammates, and seems to be getting back up to full speed.
Kirian’s second battle with cancer
This is the second time that Kirian has beaten the devilish disease. Back in 2022, Kirian received the same diagosis, and spent most of the season recovering from lymphatic cancer as he battled it. With Las Palmas vying for promotion, Kirian made a glorious return with five games to go in Segunda, four of which he started.
He ended providing an assist in their penultimate game, helping to secure automatic promotion back to La Liga for the first time in six years. A local to the Canary Islands, Kirian is beloved by the fans in Gran Canaria, and his attitude throughout has been an inspiration – not to mention his fine performances when on the pitch.
Summer of change for Las Palmas
After deciding to move on from manager Diego Martinez, Luis Garcia Plaza has been appointed as the new coach. He has a track record of promotions, most recently with Alaves. He will be working with a much-changed squad, which already has seen Alberto Moleiro, Javi Munoz, Alex Munoz, Scott McKenna, Oli McBurnie, Jose Campana, Jasper Cillessen and Benito Ramirez move on, not to mention their loan players including Fabio Silva.
