It's football, and we are sadder about it than about the result. Buenos Aires, January 25 (NA) — Argentine defender of Spain's Villarreal, Juan Foyth, ruptured his left Achilles tendon in Saturday's match against Real Madrid and would miss the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada to be held in June. As reported by the Argentine News Agency, the team from the province of Castellón lost 2-0 to Real Madrid at the La Cerámica stadium in matchday 21 of Spain's La Liga. To make matters worse, the Argentine, one of the pillars of Marcelino García Toral's side, was substituted prematurely in the 24th minute of the first half due to injury. After undergoing tests to determine the extent of his injury, Villarreal's medical staff confirmed the worst for the world champion: a complete rupture of the left Achilles tendon. The footballer, who came through Estudiantes de La Plata, will need to be operated on, and his recovery time is unknown, which seriously concerns Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni, who holds the Platense player in high regard for the list of call-ups for the upcoming World Cup in June. In case of a complete rupture, the recovery time is close to a year, so Foyth would be definitively ruled out of his second intercontinental tournament. If it were partial, the recovery time would be shorter, and there would be a small chance of making the list of 26 Argentine players. After the defeat to Real Madrid, coach García Toral had stated that the Argentine “is a very important player. We have to overcome it”. During his time at Villarreal, which began in 2020, this is Foyth's third long-term injury. Previously, he had problems with his knee and right shoulder. We have a young defense, he is the one with the most experience and hierarchy. Losing him is a hard blow.
