Colón: who missed out on the Paysandú tour and the message behind the squad | OneFootball

Colón has already defined the group with which it will face the first intense phase of preseason, which will include a tour in Paysandú and two key international friendlies as part of their preparation before the start of Primera Nacional. In this context, Ezequiel Medrán has made clear decisions that not only indicate who will be evaluated, but also who has been left behind in this new stage of the club.

El Sabalero will make its debut in Uruguay on January 20, when it faces Miramar Misiones at 8:00 PM, at the Parque Artigas stadium. The second match will be on January 23, against Paysandú, at the same venue and at night.

The youth players who did not travel with Colón

Within the final squad for the tour, four players were left out of the preseason in Paysandú: Lucas Cuffia (goalkeeper), Lautaro Gaitán (midfielder), Iván Ojeda (forward), and Matías Córdoba (forward).

These are youth players who had been working with Medrán since the end of last season, so their exclusion does not go unnoticed. The decision clearly highlights the deep process of rebuilding the squad that Colón is undergoing and the limited opportunities that, at least at this stage, several homegrown players will have.

In fact, as reported by UNO Santa Fe, none of the players developed at the club are currently projected as starters, a fact that reinforces the paradigm shift in the team’s formation.

Reinforcements and a renewed core at Colón

The list of players who will be part of the tour includes all the reinforcements brought in during the current transfer window, which underlines the coaching staff’s intention to evaluate them from the very first moment in competition. The new faces are: Matías Budiño, Emanuel Beltrán, Sebastián Olmedo, Mauro Peinipil, Pier Barrios, Leandro Allende, Ignacio Antonio, Matías Godoy, Julián Marcioni, Matías Muñoz, Federico Lértora, Darío Sarmiento, Lucas Cano, and Alan Bonansea.

With this core, Medrán begins to shape a team that prioritizes experience, playing time, and internal competition, in a division as demanding as Primera Nacional.

The youngsters still in the running

Despite the major overhaul, some homegrown players have managed to keep their place within the group traveling to Uruguay. Among them are Tomás Paredes, Lucas Picech, Zahir Ibarra, Conrado Ibarra, Zahir Yunis, Bautista Maillier, and Nahuel Curcio, the latter returning to the club after loan spells in recent seasons.

Their presence indicates that, although the role of youth players will be limited, Colón is not completely closing the door on its academy, but is instead redefining the timing and roles.

The absences, the names traveling, and the strong presence of reinforcements send an unmistakable message: Colón is starting a new era, with a deeply reconfigured squad and firm decisions from the outset. The tour to Paysandú will not only serve to get minutes on the pitch, but also to finish establishing the hierarchy in a team that seeks to become a contender once again.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.