If Manuel Lanzini was hoping that his return to River Plate from West Ham United in the summer could be a glorious end to his career at his old club, it seems fate had another idea.
That’s at least according to La Nacion, who cover the player today and how a toe fracture is the latest blow to beset the Argentine in recent months.
The newspaper explains that Lanzini has endured something of a ‘grey return’ at River Plate since rejoining them from West Ham on a free transfer in the summer.
They say he simply hasn’t been able to settle at the club, particularly after suffering a tear in his right femoral biceps in the friendly against Pachuca in pre-season in January in the USA.
He’s now set for another two-month spell on the sidelines after scans revealed he’s suffered a small base fracture of the first right metatarsal.
That’s come as an ‘unexpected slap’ for the former West Ham man, who has been really struggling at his old club and seemingly unable to get himself going.
The question now is what the club do with him moving forwards as his contract is due to expire in June and a decision has not yet been made on it.
River Plate have an option to extend it by a year and Lanzini is determined to prove his worth and show the level that was expected of him when he arrived from West Ham, but this latest injury means he won’t be doing that for a while.
