Terrafirma set to welcome back Joshua Munzon; Alex Cabagnot out 8 months

Terrafirma rookie Joshua Munzon. PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Terrafirma will be welcoming back its top rookie after the Holiday break even as veteran guard Alex Cabagnot faces lengthy layoff after his latest injury.

No. 1 overall pick Joshua Munzon could return to Terrafirma’s lineup on January 8 against Alaska in the resumption of the Governors’ Cup while Cabagnot will be out for eight months after his surgery on a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered on December 18 in the Dyip’s 116-86 loss to NLEX.

The Dyip head coach Johnedel Cardel said that Cabagnot was devastated and even apologetic that he got injured.

“After the game he said ‘this is it,’” said Cardel Tuesday in Filipino. “He thanked us for welcoming him to the team but also apologized because of the injury.”

Cardel told Cabagnot that the injury was beyond his control and that players such as Juami Tiongson, JP Calvo, and Ed Daquioag would step up in the absence of the 39-year-old star.

Munzon, meanwhile, will feature against the Aces at Smart Araneta Coliseum marking his return to the team after he suffered an injury in his right hand in July.

The long break, Cardel said, would also prove beneficial for Munzon as he can not only rest but also get acclimated with his team once more.

“We’ll recover during this long break so that we have a good start to the new year,” said Cardel, who is also suffering from a back strain.

The Dyip sit at the 10th seed in the conference with a 1-4 record.