Midfield the main question for River as they visit Racing | OneFootball

With several players once again available and the imminent return of the two players called up for the FIFA date, Kevin Castaño and Matías Galarza, it is a fact that River’s lineup to visit Racing, in a new “clásico del morbo,” will change considerably. The defense will be almost completely renewed, but Marcelo Gallardo’s real dilemma lies in the midfield. That is where the main doubt is.

Midweek, and with several training sessions still to go before visiting the Cilindro next Monday, the certainties are in defense: Gonzalo Montiel—who is recovering from a knee sprain and should make it—Lucas Martínez Quarta, and Marcos Acuña will return to the starting lineup, the latter two after serving their suspension for yellow card accumulation.

In that sense, the injured Fabricio Bustos (who will be out for about a month) and Milton Casco will leave the team, but Juan Portillo, who played as a center-back in the draw against Vélez, has a chance to stay in the starting eleven, moving into midfield.

So, the crux of the matter for River at the moment is whether to bring in the Colombian and pack the midfield, alongside two classic central midfielders like Enzo Pérez and Juan Portillo, or to leave out one of these three names to give another chance to Santiago Lencina or Giuliano Galoppo. The captain is halfway in.

If “El Muñeco” bets on the youngster or the former Banfield player, it will be a more offensive eleven, with greater presence in the opponent’s box and more goal threat, since Juan Fernando Quintero will be playing as a playmaker in the final third. If he opts for the trio of positional midfielders, River will be tougher and more balanced, with the left-footer as the playmaker and two forwards.

The attack remains unchanged? Nothing can be guaranteed one hundred percent in this River in crisis. Against his former club, which he recently scored against to eliminate from the Copa Argentina, Maximiliano Salas does not seem to be in the discussion as a possible change, even though his performance has dropped considerably. However, it shouldn’t be ruled out that if Facundo Colidio responds well to the demands, Sebastián Driussi could be left out.

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