Ignacio Vásquez, standout in Universidad de Chile's thrashing of La Serena in the Copa de la Liga, revealed he plays with a chronic right shoulder injury. He injects painkillers before each match to remain available. 'I have to do it because I want to be there for the team', he confessed.
Universidad de Chile thrashed La Serena in the Copa de la Liga, with Ignacio Vásquez as one of the standout players. The young forward scored in the 44th minute, provided an assist at Estadio La Portada, and was named man of the match by the official TNT Sports broadcast.
"I'm very happy with the victory. We needed to win convincingly... And I'm showing my game, which is taking on defenders, so I'm very grateful to my teammates and coach Fernando Gago", the left winger said after the match.
Since Argentine coach Fernando Gago's arrival, Vásquez has gained prominence in the student side. He started in Gago's debut in the Copa de la Liga, a loss to La Calera, and has since played five full matches and two as a substitute in the Liga de Primera.
His appearances come at great cost, however. Late March, he suffered a grade 2 acromioclavicular sprain in his right shoulder after a fall. Though doctors advised a month out, he chose painkilling injections. "That time I fell, took a hit and never stopped... I have to inject my shoulder to not feel pain", he explained.
Vásquez ended a goal drought of over a year with this strike, his first since U's 4-0 win over Cobreloa in the 2024 Liga de Primera. The San Bernardo native, who started at Cobresal and joined U after the 2023 South American U17, describes himself as a 'pichulero' forward and idolizes Neymar and Alexis Sánchez.
