The semester of Tomás Aranda, who had burst onto the scene as one of the great figures of Boca, ended in the least expected way. During the morning training session this Wednesday at the Ezeiza training ground, the 19-year-old youth player suffered a fibula fracture in his right leg and will need surgery in the coming days.
The injury occurred even before the practice officially began. While warming up with the rest of the squad, the player attempted one of his usual changes of direction, but his boot got stuck in the grass. The subsequent movement caused the fracture, and although it was initially speculated that it could be a sprain, the tests confirmed a bone injury in the area where the fibula and tibia meet.
Now, Aranda will undergo a surgical intervention and, once completed, will begin a recovery process that could last between three and five months. Thus, his presence for the remainder of 2026 is practically ruled out, and his return could only happen in the preseason of 2027.
With his absence, the coach will need to find a solution within a squad that does not have another player with identical characteristics. Sebastián Villa and Alan Velasco appear as alternatives to fill offensive positions, while Kevin Zenón and Tomás Belmonte are other options that the Vasco could consider to modify the team's performance.
On the other hand, the injury could unexpectedly open a possibility for Xeneize in the transfer market. Although the transfer window has already closed, the regulations of the Professional League allow a club to request authorization from the AFA to add a player when a player from their squad must undergo a recovery of at least four months. Initially, the estimated timelines for Aranda would reach that minimum, so Boca could manage the permission to acquire a replacement.
While awaiting the surgery and the youth player's recovery, Boca will need to figure out how to cope with the absence of one of its most prominent appearances of the year. The immediate priority will be to find sporting answers for an absence that, due to its characteristics and the timing of its occurrence, disrupts the team's plans.
