Velasco injured at Boca: what happened and how long he'll be out | OneFootball

Clinical studies confirmed that the midfielder suffered a significant sprain and will need several weeks to recover. Herrera and Janson, who left the field with knocks, should be fit to play against Estudiantes.

Without shining, but with presence and conviction, Boca began the Apertura Tournament with a home victory against Riestra. However, the night also brought confirmation that Rodrigo Battaglia will need surgery and, in addition, the injury of Alan Velasco, who suffered a sprain in his left knee. Furthermore, the other two players who requested to be substituted, Ánder Herrera and Lucas Janson, are fine and could start against Estudiantes.

At the time, the substitution of the attacking midfielder for Brian Aguirre went unnoticed. The former Independiente player did not make much of an impact and, although he improved in the second half when he switched wings, his substitution did not come as a surprise. However, once on the bench, he was seen with ice on the area and the first alarms were raised.

Upon returning to training, the former Independiente player did not participate in practice and went to undergo tests. Shortly after, the results revealed a significant sprain that will keep him off the field for around two months, meaning he will miss the first part of the year. For now, with Estudiantes in mind, there is no defined replacement. While waiting for Ángel Romero to arrive and with Carlos Palacios still injured, Kevin Zenón appears as the most viable alternative.

Concerned about the state of his left knee, the same one in which he suffered a ligament rupture in the United States in 2024, Boca will handle his rehabilitation with caution. Despite the headache, the good news is that the previous injury that haunts footballers did not recur.

On the other hand, the one who had scared everyone was Ánder Herrera. As soon as Lautaro di Lollo scored the only goal of the night with a header, the Spanish midfielder looked at the bench and made a clear gesture that “he couldn’t go on”. Crossing his arms in the air and pointing to himself, he dropped to the ground and asked to be substituted. Given his injury history throughout 2025, fans immediately grabbed their heads and feared the worst.

However, even though he held his left side, Herrera left the field only due to fatigue. Aside from some minor discomfort, his situation is not considered worrying. The coaching staff will wait to see how he reintegrates into training on Monday, but regardless of whether they decide to manage his minutes due to a tight schedule, they believe he will be available.

Janson had left earlier. At the time of his replacement by Íker Zufiaurre, the forward was seen exchanging words with Claudio Úbeda, who later confirmed in a press conference that he had suffered a physical problem. “He left with a calf issue and the substitution for Íker was also to bring on a fresher player,” he said at the press conference.

Additionally, aware of the usual criticism of the former Vélez player, Sifón valued his contribution and positive attitude. “Lucas Janson is a 100% professional player. When he didn’t play or wasn’t in the squad, he always came to train and was positive from his position, which is why he got his chance. He had to do a lot of the dirty work because he had to hold off the opponent’s center backs. It was a tough challenge. He moved well to the flanks, provided support, but it wasn’t an easy match for a center forward,” said the coach.

Although he is originally the fourth ‘number 9’ in the squad, injuries to Edinson Cavani (lower back pain), Milton Giménez (pubalgia, may require surgery), and Miguel Merentiel (muscle tear) made him the starting center forward for the Apertura debut. Boca will not recover any of the other three, which is why Úbeda will be keeping a close eye on Janson’s progress. If he is fit, he will start again on Wednesday against Estudiantes.

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