Thiago Almada Goes Down Injured Minutes In, Then River Falls Behind Huracan

The match at the Monumental got off to a rough start for River, and not just because of the score. A few minutes into the game against Huracan, in matchday ten of the 2026 Torneo Clausura, Thiago Almada tried to thread a pass down the right flank and that's when things went wrong: he felt a sharp pain in his left leg right at the moment he struck the ball.

Almada tried to play through it. He stayed on the field a bit longer, testing whether the pain would ease off, but it was no use. The discomfort forced him to ask for the substitution, and he was replaced by Lucas Beltran just minutes into the match.

As if Almada's exit wasn't bad enough, River took another blow almost immediately: Oscar Cortes put Huracan up 1-0 just a few minutes later, right in the middle of the confusion over the forced substitution. It was a start to forget at the Monumental, with the home side still trying to find its footing after losing one of its most important attacking pieces.

The sight of Almada walking off in pain is a real concern, especially since the midfielder had been a key part of how River operates on the field. It will take further medical updates to know the true extent of the injury and how long he might be sidelined. For now, all that's confirmed is what was seen on the pitch: a sharp pain in his left leg that kept him from continuing, and an early exit that upended River's plans just as the match was getting underway.

With Beltran on the field from such an early stage, River had to adjust quickly against a Huracan side that showed no mercy and grabbed the lead through Cortes's goal. The rest of the match will, in some way, carry the weight of that rough opening stretch: the physical blow of losing Almada and the emotional blow of conceding almost right after.