The defeat of River against Huracán left a problem that goes beyond the result. In the first minutes of the match, Thiago Almada had to leave the field due to a muscle discomfort and, after undergoing the necessary tests, a injury was confirmed that will keep him off the pitch for several weeks.
The midfielder felt a twinge while trying to make a pass to Sebastián Driussi and quickly signaled to the bench. Although he tried to continue for a few moments, the discomfort did not allow him to move normally and Leonardo Ponzio decided to replace him with Lucas Beltrán.
Almada had to request a substitution 5 minutes into the match
After undergoing the necessary medical tests, it was confirmed that Almada suffered a grade 1 tearin his left quadriceps. The injury will require about three weeks of recovery, although the timeline may vary depending on the player's progress and response during the rehabilitation process.
For River, the problem arises at a particular moment in the calendar. The team will have a break for the FIFA date and, subsequently, will have to face a series of commitments in the Torneo Clausura. The Millonario is scheduled to visit Sarmiento de Junín on October 7, although that date could be rescheduled, and then will host Estudiantes de Río Cuarto during the weekend of the 10th.
Due to the estimated recovery times, Almada would have difficulties arriving in condition for those matches. The coaching staff will closely monitor his progress to determine when he can gradually rejoin training and be available again.
On the other hand, the injury also represents a blow for the Argentine National Team. Despite having to serve a suspension for incidents that occurred in the World Cup final, the former Vélez player had been included by Lionel Scaloni in the call-up for the next FIFA date, which will feature three friendlies in the country against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. However, with the confirmed diagnosis, the midfielder has been ruled out for those commitments and the coaching staff will need to analyze whether to modify the call-up to cover his absence.
Almada will miss the friendlies with the Argentine National Team
In any case, while he will not be able to be present from a footballing perspective, everything seems to indicate that he will accompany the team in the tribute to Lionel Messi, who will have his farewell from the Argentine National Team in front of the public against Benin
Tobías Andrada escaped
In addition to Almada's early exit, another absence that raised alarms both in River and in the National Team was that of Tobías Andrada.
In the last match of the Millonario against Huracán, the midfielder had left in tears at the 35-minute mark of the first half due to pain in his right quadriceps. Fortunately for him, it was just a scare that did not require medical tests.
