River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo evaluates changes to play against Sarmiento due to the possible return to ownership of Enzo Pérez, after the signing of Paulo Díaz and with the chance to include Miguel Borja in the lead.
The Chilean Díaz, who has not played as a starter for five games due to hip synovitis, entered Barracas Central for 22 minutes due to the expulsion of David Martínez and could replace Emanuel Mammana in the central defense.
Pérez, who recovered from a slight tear suffered against Godoy Cruz on July 10, added 12 minutes against Aldosivi from the substitute bench, and after being out of the squad in three games he would enter for Bruno Zuculini.
At the same time, the Colombian Borja, the great figure of Sunday’s game with one score and two assists, has the possibility of making an offensive duo with Lucas Beltrán if he enters for Esequiel Barco.
Matías Suárez was also discharged from the tear in his right hamstring and he will be re-evaluated between tomorrow and the day after to find out if he has a chance of being on the concentrated list.
If these modifications materialize, the team would be with Franco Armani, Milton Casco, Díaz, David Martínez and Elías Gómez; Agustín Palavecino, Pérez, Rodrigo Aliendro and Santiago Simón; Beltran and Barco.
Since the beginning of the season against Defensa y Justicia on June 5, Gallardo made changes in the team’s 13 presentations in the Professional League, in the Copa Argentina and in the Libertadores, either due to absences, injuries or poor performance.
To the point that until the game against Aldosivi last Sunday in Mar del Plata he had used 11 different formations in the defensive zone, with constant changes in the wings and central defenders.
The starting central duo of David Martínez and Paulo Díaz, who started without playing due to the calls for their national teams, only played two games, against Vélez in the first leg of the Libertadores round of 16 and against Lanús in the Monumental.
That is why the nine defenders on the squad played at least one game and the only one without minutes is Paraguayan Robert Rojas, who is in the final stage of recovery from a fractured tibia and fibula.
The same thing happened in the midfield area as the coach used 11 players – the only one who did not play was Felipe Peña Biafore, who was discharged from an operation a month ago – and with the possible return of Enzo Pérez it will change again.
The continuous changes in the team are confirmed by some statistical data: no player has perfect attendance, the one who played the most matches after Armani is Elías Gómez with 11 games and followed by Simón with just 8 games.
At the same time, Barco, with 12 appearances, 7 as starters and 5 as substitutes, and Palavecino with 10 calls, 7 as starters and 3 as substitutes, are two of the players with the most continuity, but without having established themselves in the starting 11.
With this scenario, the squad trained this morning at the Ezeiza venue and will repeat the routine until Friday, to concentrate on Saturday after the work at the Monumental in the run-up to the match against Sarmiento on Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Suárez played his last game on July 6 against Vélez in the rematch at the Monumental, after spending two months without playing due to an injury in the same area in which he suffered when he scored the headed goal that was disallowed.
On the other hand, in relation to the match against Sarmiento at home, tickets are on sale for members and members of the Somos River community, and it is estimated that they will be sold out in the next few hours, as has happened throughout the year.
Since February 16 in the 4-1 against Patronato, that the members of River fill the stadium in all the games, which constitutes a historical record that will have 17 consecutive presentations without empty places in the stadium.
“It is a historic event for South American and world sports: more than a million people filled the four stands to support the team,” the institution warned in a statement a couple of days ago.
The streak had Copa Libertadores matches against Fortaleza, Colo Colo, Alianza Lima, Vélez and those of both local tournaments played this year: Atlético Tucumán, Lanús, Vélez, Godoy Cruz and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.
River has 45,000 members subscribed to the system of boxes and Tu Lugar en el Monumental, and about 25 places are destined for the rest of the active members and in some games places for guests are also on sale.
