Premier League star in floods of tears after being forced off 15 minutes into clash
Julio Enciso was visibly distraught after he was forced to come off in the first half of Ipswich Town’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. Enciso made just his second start for the Tractor Boys having joined on loan from Brighton for the rest of the season. Enciso was visibly emotional after being forced off with an injuryAFP However, the Paraguayan’s afternoon was cut short. Enciso dropped to the turf after just 15 minutes and immediately gestured to the Ipswich physio something on his left leg was causing him trouble. Unfortunately Enciso could not run it off and was forced to exit the game in the 17th minute, with Jack Clarke replacing him. Upon leaving the field, Enciso pulled his shirt over his mouth and looked visibly devastated. Enciso’s devastation was understandable given his 2023/24 season was derailed by injury. The 21-year-old missed 38 games in total for club and country after he tore his meniscus in August 2023. He made his return on February 24 last year in a 17-minute cameo against Everton. It also spells bad news for Paraguay, who will have hoped the 21-year-old would have been available for their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualification matches against Chile and Colombia on March 20 and March 25 respectively. Enciso made the move to Ipswich from Brighton in January having found game time hard to come by under Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler. The prodigious South American talent made just two starts for Brighton in the Premier League as Hurzeler opted to use him sparingly off the bench. Enciso’s latest injury comes after he missed half of last season with a torn meniscusGetty He started all three of Brighton’s Carabao Cup clashes before they were knocked out by Liverpool. Enciso’s only goal this term came in a 4-0 thrashing of Norwich City in the third round of the FA Cup. The 21-year-old’s injury wasn’t Ipswich’s only blow in the first half as defender Axel Tuanzebe was sent off in the 40th minute. Tuanzebe, who enjoyed three separate stints at Villa from 2017 to 2022, was shown a second yellow card after he brought down Villa’s Jacob Ramsey just outside the box. The former Manchester United defender picked up his first yellow in the 28th minute when he tripped up Morgan Rogers in the centre-circle. It marks the first time at club level Tuanzebe had been sent off. Match Stats Despite being down a man, it was Ipswich who hit the lead when Liam Delap nipped in front of several defenders to turn home Omari Hutchinson’s low cross. The Tractor Boys put up a valiant resistance but Villa’s persistence eventually paid off in the 69th minute. Marcus Rashford’s free-kick from distance thudded against the crossbar and Ollie Watkins was quickest to the rebound as he shot into an empty net. Villa continued to pepper efforts at Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer but he thwarted the hosts at every turn. Palmer ultimately six saves to deny Villa and was mobbed by his teammates at the final whistle having preserved a valuable point. The draw left Villa in 9th on 38 points, six behind fourth-placed Manchester City. As for Ipswich, they remain in the relegation zone and are two points from safety, although 17th-placed Wolves have a game in hand.
Julio Enciso was visibly distraught after he was forced to come off in the first half of Ipswich Town’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Enciso made just his second start for the Tractor Boys having joined on loan from Brighton for the rest of the season.
However, the Paraguayan’s afternoon was cut short.
Enciso dropped to the turf after just 15 minutes and immediately gestured to the Ipswich physio something on his left leg was causing him trouble.
Unfortunately Enciso could not run it off and was forced to exit the game in the 17th minute, with Jack Clarke replacing him.
Upon leaving the field, Enciso pulled his shirt over his mouth and looked visibly devastated.
Enciso’s devastation was understandable given his 2023/24 season was derailed by injury.
The 21-year-old missed 38 games in total for club and country after he tore his meniscus in August 2023.
He made his return on February 24 last year in a 17-minute cameo against Everton.
It also spells bad news for Paraguay, who will have hoped the 21-year-old would have been available for their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualification matches against Chile and Colombia on March 20 and March 25 respectively.
Enciso made the move to Ipswich from Brighton in January having found game time hard to come by under Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler.
The prodigious South American talent made just two starts for Brighton in the Premier League as Hurzeler opted to use him sparingly off the bench.
He started all three of Brighton’s Carabao Cup clashes before they were knocked out by Liverpool.
Enciso’s only goal this term came in a 4-0 thrashing of Norwich City in the third round of the FA Cup.
The 21-year-old’s injury wasn’t Ipswich’s only blow in the first half as defender Axel Tuanzebe was sent off in the 40th minute.
Tuanzebe, who enjoyed three separate stints at Villa from 2017 to 2022, was shown a second yellow card after he brought down Villa’s Jacob Ramsey just outside the box.
The former Manchester United defender picked up his first yellow in the 28th minute when he tripped up Morgan Rogers in the centre-circle.
It marks the first time at club level Tuanzebe had been sent off.
Despite being down a man, it was Ipswich who hit the lead when Liam Delap nipped in front of several defenders to turn home Omari Hutchinson’s low cross.
The Tractor Boys put up a valiant resistance but Villa’s persistence eventually paid off in the 69th minute.
Marcus Rashford’s free-kick from distance thudded against the crossbar and Ollie Watkins was quickest to the rebound as he shot into an empty net.
Villa continued to pepper efforts at Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer but he thwarted the hosts at every turn.
Palmer ultimately six saves to deny Villa and was mobbed by his teammates at the final whistle having preserved a valuable point.
The draw left Villa in 9th on 38 points, six behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
As for Ipswich, they remain in the relegation zone and are two points from safety, although 17th-placed Wolves have a game in hand.
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