Marcelo in tears as horror tackle on opponent leads to broken leg in Copa Libertadores match

Former Brazil international Marcelo was left in tears after a tackle at Argentinos Juniors defender Luciano Sanchez resulted in a horrific injury during a Copa Libertadores match in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

Fluminense defender Marcelo’s lunge towards Sanchez’s foot resulted in a gruesome broken leg for the defender, leading to the former Real Madrid legend’s dismissal from the game in the 58^th minute.

During the match, Marcelo was attempting to dribble past Sanchez when his leading foot inadvertently struck Sanchez high on the shin with significant force. The impact caused Sanchez’s leg to buckle at a distressing angle, leaving him writhing in pain on the field.

Marcelo’s tackle causes opponent to suffer dislocated knee; defender offers apologies

Sanchez’s injury was confirmed to be a dislocated left knee, and he was swiftly taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment, as stated by his club Argentinos Juniors in a Twitter post.

Reflecting on the unfortunate incident, Marcelo shared his sentiments on Instagram, saying, “Today I had a very difficult moment on the pitch. I unintentionally injured a fellow player. I want to wish him the best possible recovery. All the strength in the world.”

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A post shared by Marcelo Vieira (@marcelotwelve)

Fluminense FC, Marcelo’s Brazilian club, also conveyed their support and well wishes through a social media post. “Fluminense FC expresses its solidarity and wishes a speedy recovery to Argentinos Juniors defender Luciano Sanchez, who was injured in an accidental move in tonight’s match,” the Twitter message read.

The Copa Libertadores round of 16 clash’s first leg between Argentinos Juniors and Fluminense ended with a 1-1 draw at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. Gabriel Avalos scored for the Argentine side, while Samuel Xavier Brito scored towards the end of the game for Fluminense.