Martínez Quarta and Montiel impress, could start against Racing | OneFootball

The defenders were put to the test in Friday’s practice and physically proved themselves ready to be part of the starting eleven next Monday.

Next Monday at 7:30 p.m., a River side struggling emotionally will have the chance to turn things around against Racing at the Cilindro de Avellaneda, in the round of 16 of the Torneo Clausura. Ahead of this crucial clash, Marcelo Gallardo received the good news that both Lucas Martínez Quarta and Gonzalo Montiel responded well in the morning practice and could return to the starting lineup.

The Millonario regains some key players for next Monday’s clásico, after a draw against Vélez in which the coach had to improvise with several youngsters due to a large number of absences. Kevin Castaño and Matías Galarza Fonda have returned from representing their national teams during the last FIFA date, while Marcos Acuña and Lucas Martínez Quarta have served their respective suspensions for accumulated yellow cards.

The latter, moreover, had to reduce his workload in training this week due to a hard blow to his right knee. In Friday’s session at River Camp, the center-back responded well and will be available to face la Academia. It’s worth noting that against el Fortín, Juan Carlos Portillo played as the main center-back, since Gallardo decided to drop Paulo Díaz for the final matches of the year.

A different case is that of Facundo Colidio, who has been recovering for 17 days from a right hamstring tear suffered against Gimnasia, which kept him out of the Superclásico and the match in Liniers. He was also tested by the coaching staff and, if he receives medical clearance this weekend, he will be included in the squad and will be on the substitutes’ bench.

Given this outlook, River would line up in Avellaneda with Franco Armani in goal; Gonzalo Montiel or Fabricio Bustos would take the right-back position, while the rest of the defense would be made up of Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, and Marcos Acuña. Enzo Pérez and Juan Carlos Portillo would share the midfield, with Juan Fernando Quintero and Santiago Lencina as playmakers. Sebastián Driussi and Maximiliano Salas would be the forwards.

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