River lose Portillo for 2026: ligament tear, signing incoming | OneFootball

River Plate's visit to La Paternal left a highly negative outcome that goes beyond the sports result. Juan Portillo, who had entered the match against Argentinos Juniors for the 2026 Apertura Tournament, suffered a severe injury just a minute after stepping onto the field. What initially caused uncertainty on the bench turned into the worst news for Marcelo Gallardo's scheme after the relevant studies were conducted.

Medical results confirmed that the player, who joined the club from Talleres de Córdoba, has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. This condition requires surgical intervention and an estimated rehabilitation period of six to eight months. Thus, the midfielder is sidelined from all official activities for the remainder of the year, representing a significant loss for the team's rotation.

Given the severity of the diagnosis, the AFA regulations allow River to request an extraordinary slot to incorporate a new player, as the injury demands more than four months of recovery. Once the Argentine Football Association authorizes the request, the Núñez management will have a 10-day window to register a new player, whether from the domestic market or internationally.

Despite the loss occurring in the midfield area, the coaching staff and management are considering using this opportunity to strengthen another area of the team. Due to the lack of scoring in recent matches, there is an increasing possibility that the club will not seek a direct replacement for Portillo but will instead try to add a strong center forward to alleviate the goal drought faced by the "Millonario" team's attackers.

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