Gallardo faces three selection dilemmas as River return to training | OneFootball

This Tuesday, the River squad resumed training after a day off and is now focusing on the match against Tigre next Sunday. Marcelo Gallardo will have to decide on the replacement for Sebastián Driussi, who is injured, and also whether to keep Santiago Beltrán in goal and if he will return the starting position to Matías Viña, while waiting for Marcos Acuña to get back in shape.

The 7 points out of a possible 9 and the team's good performance have given the "Muñeco" the chance not to rush the return of any injured player; this explains why "Huevo" has only played a few minutes in Arroyito and why Franco Armani is still recovering. However, to face the "Matador," he will have to make changes because "Gordo," his main number '9', suffered a tear in his left hamstring and will miss at least the next four matches.

At first glance, Maximiliano Salas seems to have the advantage to become the center forward for the weekend. The former Racing player started the year as a substitute, and his appearances in these three matches have not been positive. The coach has always placed him as a center forward, which gives him a certain edge over Ian Subiabre, a winger who, if he comes in, would cause Facundo Colidio to move to the center. Further down the priority list is Agustín Ruberto, who hasn't played in the First Division since 2024.

In goal, the emergence of young Beltrán was a pleasant surprise for everyone at River. With a clean sheet in his three official matches (plus the two friendlies where he also didn't concede any goals), he had his best performance in the draw against the Canalla. Armani has recovered from his calf tear, but an inflammation in his Achilles tendon still keeps him off the field. His return will be managed cautiously, as a more severe injury in that area would require a very lengthy recovery.

Lastly, Gallardo will have to decide who will be the left-back in the match corresponding to the fourth round of the Apertura Tournament. Matías Viña is now available after serving a suspension for the unusual expulsion against Gimnasia, and everything indicates that he will return to the starting lineup to play his third official match wearing the River jersey.

However, Acuña's physical condition will be assessed during the week. "Huevo" couldn't participate in the preseason due to a foot injury and only played his first minutes during the visit to Rosario Central. In Arroyito, he came in to correct the issues caused by Lautaro Rivero's shift to the wing, and although he was able to bring some calm with his experience, he also seemed out of rhythm. Therefore, it is most likely that the Uruguayan will return in place of Paulo Díaz, despite his good performance in his return to the team.

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