Maxi Meza picks up knee injury at River, surgery required | OneFootball

River left the Bombonera defeated, plunged into a very deep football crisis, on the verge of being left out of the Copa Libertadores, and, on top of that, worried about Maximiliano Meza's injury. The midfielder left the field against Boca in tears, and the diagnosis after clinical studies was not encouraging: avulsion of the patellar tendon in his left knee, surgery, and a long recovery.

Initially, there was fear that it was a rupture, but it turned out to be a detachment. In other words, the tendon that connects the tibia to the kneecap came loose at one of its two ends, without rupture or, at first glance, any bone detachment. Now, the 32-year-old from Corrientes will have to undergo surgery and, initially, will have about three months of rehabilitation.

Although the mandatory surgery and the start of recovery are still pending, there was even some relief at River, as initially, there was fear that he could be out of the field for up to 10 months. It remains to be seen how he responds to the operation and how he begins his return to training, but the level of drama regarding the injury has decreased from Núñez.

Meza had previously undergone surgery for patellar tendinitis in that same left knee after the Club World Cup. He had only recently started gaining minutes again against Sarmiento, gradually increasing his playtime. He returned to the starting lineup against Boca, and the outcome was the least desired. Just 30 minutes on the field, and he had to leave due to a worse injury than the one he had previously suffered.

A player requested by Marcelo Gallardo, Maxi has the ability to contribute back and forth, imbalance, and goal-scoring. Whenever he was available, the "Muñeco" used him for his versatility and offensive capability. Whether playing internally or more on the outside, the possibilities offered by the former Gimnasia and Independiente player made him an important asset to the team. Now, we will have to wait until 2026 to see how he returns from another surgery.

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