Seventeen minutes and a collapse on the turf
Aníbal Moreno's afternoon at the Monumental ended barely a quarter of an hour in. During River Plate's 14th-round Zona B Clausura fixture against Racing, the midfielder felt a sharp pain in his left ankle as he attempted a pass and went down on the grass. He clutched his head, broke into tears and received attention from the medical staff before leaving the field.[S1]
The images of the midfielder crying as he departed spread alarm well beyond the Racing match itself, because the episode arrived in the immediate build-up to the Superclásico against Boca Juniors. River now need the outcome of the studies to establish whether they can call on a player who had only recently begun stringing appearances together again.[S1][S2][S3]
A comeback interrupted
Moreno had returned against Belgrano after overcoming a lumbar disc problem that kept him out of the first five matches of Leonardo Ponzio's spell in charge. His display in Córdoba was enough to keep him in the starting eleven, but the new setback halted that progress. The fixture against Racing carried extra weight for him given his past at the club, where he made 125 appearances and won two titles.[S1]
The physical problem adds to a demanding season. In May he sustained a knee sprain and two months later suffered a relapse, before the lumbar trouble delayed his return to the side. This latest complaint surfaced precisely as he was trying to cement a starting place and regain competitive rhythm after several spells on the sidelines.[S1]
Midfield options thin out before La Bombonera
Lucas Silva came on in Moreno's place. The youngster had been promoted to the senior squad by Eduardo Coudet but had not yet accumulated minutes since Ponzio took over, and he could now become a central-midfield alternative if the usual choices are not fit in time.[S1]
The midfield picture darkened further with Fausto Vera's injury. He suffered a tear to his right hamstring during the previous round's heavy win over Belgrano, and given the recovery timeline and the proximity of the Boca fixture his availability is in doubt. Losing both midfielders would force the coaching staff to reshape an area that will be decisive at La Bombonera.[S1]
Moreno was able to walk off unaided, a detail that allows the club to await the tests with measured optimism. Even so, his tears as he left the pitch reflected how much the injury worried him. Ponzio must wait for the medical report to learn whether the midfielder is available or whether the central sector needs reorganising for the November 1 meeting with Boca.[S1]
