Bad news for Papu Gómez: ankle injury ends his season | OneFootball

More bad news for Papu Gómez: after returning to the field in Italy’s second division wearing the Padova shirt following a two-year suspension for a positive doping test, the Argentine midfielder is now dealing with a serious ankle injury, and the surgery will rule him out for the rest of the 2025/26 season.

After two difficult years for the former Arsenal de Sarandí and San Lorenzo player, Serie B side Padova opened its doors to him in July 2025, and he quickly took on a crucial role in the team, wearing the captain’s armband and contributing to a squad fighting to stay up. However, after taking a knock in a match against Mantova in January, he began struggling with discomfort in his right ankle that affected his continuity, playing in only two of the last twelve matches.

After his last match on March 21, and following consultations with specialists, the World Cup-winning midfielder decided to undergo surgery to finally put an end to the pain, at the cost of missing the remainder of the season with the Italian club. His ankle problems are nothing new: he had already suffered an injury there that nearly kept him out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he played only two matches.

In any case, the former Atalanta player does not plan to retire anytime soon. After his surgery in Pisa, the midfielder plans to return and begin his recovery close to the Padova squad, with whom he is under contract until mid-2027. Despite not being able to play again in the competition, Papu knows this is the time to support the team as it battles to avoid relegation to Serie C.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.