Following the victory of River against Gimnasia in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Apertura Tournament, a harsh piece of news emerged: the young player Agustín Ruberto suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out for several months.
The injury occurred during Tuesday's training session before the match against Lobo at the Monumental. After feeling discomfort, the forward underwent tests that confirmed the diagnosis, although the club chose not to make it public immediately to avoid affecting the atmosphere leading up to the match.
This is a particularly tough blow for the 20-year-old attacker, who had already gone through a similar situation at the beginning of 2025, when he tore the ligaments in the same knee while playing with the Argentina U20 National Team in the South American Championship of that category. At that time, he was also sidelined during a crucial stage of his development.
Ruberto would not play until early 2027.
After that first recovery, Ruberto returned to gain minutes at the end of the year and had some appearances in the current season, although he did not manage to establish himself. In fact, he alternated between being called up and being absent from the squads and never fully became a fixed option in the team, first under Marcelo Gallardo and then under Eduardo Coudet's management.
Now, the outlook is complicated again. The estimated recovery time for this type of injury usually ranges between eight and nine months, so it seems that the forward will miss the remainder of the season and could only return at the beginning of 2027.
Before starting rehabilitation, he will need to undergo the necessary surgical intervention once the swelling in the affected area subsides. It will be a long and demanding process, the second in just over a year and a half for a player who is still trying to establish himself in the First Division.
Ruberto's numbers in River's first team
Since his debut with the professional squad in early 2024, the native of San Fernando has played only 550 minutes, spread over 23 matches, in which he scored 2 goals and received one yellow card. His last match before his new injury was in the defeat against Atlético Tucumán at the Monumental, where he played only the first half.
