After confirming the knee problem, the young player is slated for surgery and will begin a lengthy rehabilitation journey.
Boca Juniors fell 4-3 to Belgrano in the eighth round of the Professional League Cup, marking their fifth defeat in the last seven league games. Yet the most troubling news for Xeneize after returning from Córdoba was the latest injury to Exequiel Zeballos.
El Changuito entered nine minutes into the second half in an attempt to spark a comeback, but his presence on the field was brief. Following a tussle on the right flank for a ball, he collapsed to the grass, tearfully signaling he needed to leave. By the 18th minute, Lucas Jansons took his spot for the rest of the match.
Back in Buenos Aires, the youngster underwent a series of tests to gauge the extent of the injury, and the diagnosis was the most feared outcome.
WHAT INJURY DOES EXEQUIEL ZEBALLOS HAVE AND HOW LONG WILL HE BE SIDELINED?
According to the MRI conducted on Wednesday morning, October 11, Zeballos sustained a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and an injury to the external meniscus in his right knee. After confirming the seriousness and allowing a short period for any residual swelling to subside, Zeballos will undergo surgery on Monday, October 23, followed by a long period of rehabilitation that is expected to last between six and eight months.
This means the 21-year-old not only misses the Copa Libertadores final against Fluminense and the closing stretch of the 2023 season, but also cannot participate in the summer pre-season and may realistically hope to return in April of the following year.
For Zeballos, this will be the third surgical procedure he has faced in roughly twelve months. In August 2022, he suffered a fractured tibia during a cup match against Agropecuario, which sidelined him for nearly four months. In February of the following year, he underwent surgery to address an issue with the external meniscus of the right knee, further delaying his activity by about three months.
THE GAME WHERE EXEQUIEL ZEBALLOS WAS WOUNDED
Note: This summary is based on reporting from Goal.