Leandro Paredes played the World Cup injured: what he has and when he could return to Boca

Leandro Paredes played through the World Cup final with an intercostal injury, a physical limitation that impacted his aerobic capacity but did not stop him from making crucial plays. Upon returning to Argentina, the midfielder joined his Boca Juniors teammates and met with coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena to discuss his condition.

Arruabarrena sought to understand the extent of Paredes's injury, which became public knowledge recently. The coach must now decide whether to include Paredes in the squad for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoffs against O'Higgins, or to rest him for the return match in Chile. Boca's medical team is prioritizing Paredes's health and will conduct further tests to determine the severity of the blow to his rib area.

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A lesion? He's fine, he has a small injury, but he's fine.

Paredes's mother, Myriam Benítez, confirmed his injury upon arrival at Ezeiza airport, stating he had a "small injury" but was "okay." This statement offered some reassurance to Boca fans eager to see their captain play. Despite the pain, Paredes was instrumental in a key recovery against Mohamed Salah in the Round of 16 and delivered a strong performance against England in the semifinals.

Adding to the post-final discussions, Paredes is also under scrutiny for videos circulating on social media that appear to show him grabbing Spanish player Eric García by the throat and confronting Gavi during the World Cup final. This incident occurred after Paredes had already joined the Boca expedition with a thigh tear sustained during a Copa Libertadores match, which he played through before receiving the intercostal blow during the World Cup.

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The midfielder left Boca to embark on the World Cup expedition with an injury: he had torn a muscle in the second half of the match against Universidad Católica (Chile), during the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. Despite the pain, he completed the ninety minutes on the field.