Boca returned from Salta with qualification for the quarterfinals of the Argentine Cup but with a huge concern: the condition of Exequiel Zeballos, who has a severe injury to his right tibia and will need surgery. The young striker, who left the game against Agropecuario after a violent infraction committed by defender Milton Leyendeker in the first few minutes, underwent further tests in the morning and the serious diagnosis was confirmed.
After the kick that took him out of the game, Zeballos was treated in a sanatorium in the capital of Salta, and close associates of the Boca medical team indicated that he could have a serious injury to his right tibia that would leave him unemployed for about six months. After noon and after the studies, the official medical report arrived, which confirmed the first diagnosis.
“Exequiel Zeballos: suffered an injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis with injury to the deltoid ligament and avulsion of the posterior malleolus of the right ankle. Surgical treatment is decided,” says the report signed by the club’s medical department.
Leyendeker apologized.
Aware of the seriousness of his infraction, Leyendeker was quick to apologize, while stating that he did not seek to hurt his rival. “It was not my intention to injure Zeballos. I apologize publicly, I hope he does not have anything serious,” said the Agropecuario defender after the heavy foul. In this context, the player tried to justify that it was a serious infraction, but there was no bad intention. “I always play to the limit but this is my first expulsion. I didn’t want to attack him but I went to take the ball and he just touched the ball and I hit him in the knee”.
As for the yellow card that the referee gave him in the first instance and then showed him the red, the player from Carlos Casares’ club stressed that at first he thought the warning was fine, but later he recognized that he was sent off well. “With the warning I was fine. Then, when he sent me off, I asked him why he did it, but when I saw the images later in the locker room I think it was the fairest thing to do,” Leyendeker remarked.
