Palacios to Undergo Extended Recovery Following Serious Injury

According to Infobae, Exequiel Palacios has faced a significant injury that will keep him off the field until early 2026, impacting both Bayer Leverkusen and the Argentina national team. The German club announced that the 26-year-old midfielder suffered a muscle and tendon rupture in his right adductor during a Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt, and he will require surgery next week.

“Muscle and tendon injury: Bayer 04 will have to do without Exequiel Palacios for a long period. The Argentine world champion suffered a muscle and tendon injury in the right adductor during the Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt, which will necessitate surgery early next week. It is expected that Palacios will be sidelined until the beginning of next year,” the statement indicated.
The injury concern started in the early minutes when Palacios fell following a challenge from Can Uzun. Shortly after, while under pressure from Oscar Höjlund, he showed more discomfort. By the 13th minute, he had to be substituted for Aleix García. Although Leverkusen won the match 3-1, Palacios’s injury became the main focus.

This match also marked the debut of former Boca Juniors player Equi Fernández, who received a second yellow card, and Kasper Hjulmand’s first game in charge after Erik ten Hag’s departure. With red cards and stoppages affecting the game, Palacios’s injury emerged as the key story.

This situation is also a concern for Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni, who will be without Palacios for the upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in October, as well as November’s matches against Angola and another team yet to be confirmed. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Argentina has lost an important midfield player just as he was starting to make his mark following the victory in Qatar.