The defender lasted just 10 minutes on his first start for the Spanish top-flight club after joining on loan last week

Since leaving Rangers last summer as a free agent, Borna Barisic has endured a torrid time of it.

The Croatian international called time on his six year spell at Ibrox after manager Philippe Clement and the club’s hierarchy opted against offering the defender a new deal. He subsequently followed ex-teammate John Lundstram by joining Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor.

However, the 32-year-old struggled to make any sort of impact in his first six months - starting just three games - and a lack of minutes forced the 35-times capped star to look elsewhere in search of regular game time.

He was offered a temporary escape route on Deadline Day by relegation-threatened Leganes where he put pen to paper on a loan move in the final hours of the January window - linking up with ex-Aberdeen attacker Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes in the process.

However, the luckless Barisic’s season now looks to be over after the left-back sustained a serious knee injury just 10 minutes into his La Liga debut in the 2-0 defeat against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium on Sunday night. And the Spanish club has since confirmed the a torn ACL will rule him out for the rest of the campaign as he sets out on a lengthy road to recovery.

A club statement read: “After having to withdraw injured in this Sunday's match between Valencia CF and CD Leganes at the Mestalla Stadium, and after undergoing tests this Monday, the Pepinero player Borna Barisic has been diagnosed with a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

“Barisic played his first minutes as a Leganes player in Valencia, after having joined the club last Monday, on the last day of the winter transfer market, on loan from Turkish side Trabzonspor. The club wishes the player a speedy recovery and best wishes.”