Colo Colo confirmed the injury of their star midfielder Arturo Vidal, who is suffering from a muscle problem in his left calf, sidelining him from the match against the Colombian club Junior de Barranquilla in the Copa Libertadores round of 16 in three weeks.

“It’s a pain I’ve never felt before,” said Vidal last Sunday, after the match against Unión Española in the Chilean football league. After undergoing medical examinations, it was reported that he will begin a rehabilitation process with no specified timeline.

In the immediate term, the midfielder will miss the local match this Saturday against O’Higgins, but the outlook for his return in August is unclear. Colo Colo faces the superclásico against Universidad de Chile on Saturday the 10th, and three days later, the first leg of the international cup at home.

The ‘King,’ 37, has faced various physical problems since his return to the pitch in Chile after undergoing knee surgery in late 2023 and has struggled to maintain consistent play for the team, where he is a key player both for his gameplay and leadership.

The former Inter Milan and Barcelona midfielder did not finish the match against Unión Española at the Monumental Stadium and had to be treated on the field. The discomfort in his leg did not subside over the following days, describing the pain as “a strong blow” when asked by the press after the game.

Vidal, however, remains optimistic about his recovery timeline and expressed confidence that “it will pass quickly” and that he will be ready “for the match against La U and Libertadores.”

This past April, the Chilean player claimed to be fully recovered, saying he was “100 percent” and that “there are no more excuses.”

Indeed, he had more regular playing time from then on, but uncertainty about his physical condition persists to the point that he was not called up by the La Roja coach, Ricardo Gareca, for the last Copa América in the United States.

Vidal himself acknowledged a week ago that he is not at his peak, saying, “Otherwise, I’d be at Bayern Munich or Barcelona,” although he added some stats about his performance: “I made the ideal team, have scored seven goals, and played over 20 matches, while some said I wouldn’t play even 10.”

The uncertainty about his recovery puts Colo Colo’s coach, Argentine Jorge Almirón, on alert, as he also deals with the injury of his new signing, Argentine forward Javier Correa, who has yet to debut in Chile.