Valentín Carboni returns to Racing Club this Friday against Colo in Concepción after missing nearly nine months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ESPN Deportes reported.
The 21-on midfielder suffered the injury on February 27, an absence that kept him out for the remainder of the year and ended his chances of making Argentina’s World Cup squad.
“Muy ansioso por la noche de hoy, por volver a jugar,” Carboni told ESPN F90 ahead of the friendly match. “Fueron meses muy difíciles, tanto en lo personal como para el club. Pero todo sirve de experiencia para seguir mejorando. Todo pasa por algo. Y ahora a volver con todo, con las experiencias vividas, para arrancar el año con todo.”
The match takes place at 19:00 local time on Friday, November 13, and streams live on ESPN via the Disney+ Premium Plan, according to ESPN Deportes.
"VOLVER DE VUELTA A LO MÁS ALTO DEL FÚTBOL. ES UN DESAFÍO PERSONAL QUE TENGO". Luego de superar una lesión ligamentaria en la rodilla derecha, Valentín Carboni habló sobre sus objetivos y lo que se viene para Racing. 📺 ESPN en el Plan Premium de #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/s1WBWRHdCv
Carboni joined the Avellaneda club at the start of 2026 after previous loan spells with Monza, Olympique de Marsella, and Genoa. He made just four appearances for Racing before the injury occurred.
“Me los pude tomar muy bien, viéndoles el lado positivo,” Carboni said of his months on the sidelines, pointing out that he used the time to work on his mental approach while he was unable to play.
He also sustained a partial tear of his right lateral collateral ligament during that same period. “Es un desafío volver después de dos lesiones muy graves,” Carboni told ESPN Deportes. “El desafío es volver a lo más alto del fútbol.”
“Es un fútbol muy intensivo, muy agresivo,” he said.
Before the knee injury, Carboni made three appearances for the senior Argentina national team under Lionel Scaloni.
“Estuve seguido en la Selección,” Carboni said. “Muy agradecido siempre al cuerpo técnico y a mis compañeros por la oportunidad. Y sí, me sentí cerca, incluso venir a Racing era para hacerlo bien y tener alguna oportunidad en la Selección para el Mundial. Pero pasó esto: a levantar la cabeza y a mirar para adelante.”
He added that while he did not speak directly with Scaloni at the moment of his injury, he remained in regular contact with assistant coach Walter Samuel.
Growing up, Carboni modeled his career after Lionel Messi, watching Barcelona and national team fixtures on YouTube. “Es mi ídolo máximo desde siempre y una inspiración y una motivación para todos los chicos que jugamos al fútbol,” he said.
A product of the Lanús youth system until age 14, Carboni moved to Catania when his father took a reserve-team coaching role in Italy, before joining Inter Milan’s academy alongside his brother.
The friendly fixture against Colo on Friday, November 13, at 19:00 marks his official return to competitive action, broadcast on ESPN in the Disney+ Plan Premium, as SportsCenter reported on X.
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