The 12 players set to return to River and face Gallardo’s assessment | OneFootball

A dozen footballers are finishing their respective loan spells and will return to the Millonario with the goal of earning a place in Muñeco’s plans.

After a disastrous end to 2025, Marcelo Gallardo began a major overhaul of River’s squad ahead of the coming year. In addition to letting go of six players and promoting several youngsters in recent months, Muñeco will evaluate the 12 players returning from their loans on January 1st to see if any of them have what it takes to earn a spot in the first team.

Ezequiel Centurión

Perhaps the most important name on this list. Starter and, at times, captain for Independiente Rivadavia, champions of the Copa Argentina. Although he had to be substituted in the final and the hero in the penalty shootout was Gonzalo Marinelli, he was key in the shootouts against Platense and, notably, against River in the semifinals, saving Miguel Borja’s shot. Defending the Lepra’s goal, he played 57 matches and kept 20 clean sheets. At 28 years old, his desire is to continue playing regularly, something that’s very difficult at River due to the presence of Franco Armani and Jeremías Ledesma. Playing in the Copa Libertadores with the team from Mendoza could be an important factor for him to stay there, either permanently or on another loan.

Daniel Zabala

The center-back made his debut under Martín Demichelis in March of last year, played three matches, and with Marcelo Gallardo’s arrival, played two more. In January, he was loaned to Huracán for a year, an important test that, if successful, could have opened the door to River’s first team, as happened with Lautaro Rivero. However, Frank Darío Kudelka never counted on him and he played just 193 minutes across three matches. To make matters worse, injuries plagued him: he suffered a myofascial tear upon arriving at Huracán and in May tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which has kept him off the pitch since then.

Gonzalo Trindade

The 21-year-old left-back was loaned to Central Córdoba in mid-2024. However, he was never important for Omar De Felippe, who left him out of the squad on several occasions. In this year and a half, he played just 12 matches (six in all of 2025) and hasn’t played since August 25th.

Elián Giménez

The 21-year-old central midfielder, who has yet to debut for River’s first team, was on loan at Sarmiento de Junín during 2025. Although he started as a substitute in the year’s first matches, by late February he began to play a more important role and has since played 24 matches. He also scored two goals and provided one assist. He could be an interesting backup option, considering the squad was somewhat depleted in that area with Enzo Pérez’s departure.

Tobías Leiva

At 21, the native of Ingeniero Budge had a year that started well but faded. Despite being on the bench for River in 2024, he couldn’t make his first-team debut and was loaned to Aldosivi in January. He played every match of the Apertura (scoring in wins over Argentinos and Unión), but gradually lost ground, first due to a knee injury and then because he wasn’t a favorite of Guillermo Farré. In total, 23 appearances, two goals, and one assist for the Tiburón.

Tiago Serrago

The 21-year-old midfielder, who can play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger on either side, had a dream debut for Aldosivi. On February 22nd, with his first touch after coming on against Boca at La Bombonera, he scored an unforgettable screamer to give his team a temporary equalizer. Since then, he featured in seven of the next nine Apertura matches and started 15 of 16 in the Clausura. In total, he made 27 appearances, scored two goals, and provided one assist, and was key to the Tiburón’s heroic survival.

Tomás Castro Ponce

The 24-year-old right midfielder made his River first-team debut at the end of 2020, in a win over Rosario Central in the Maradona Cup. Since then, he hasn’t played again and has been loaned out repeatedly; he went through Godoy Cruz, Atlético Tucumán, and this year dropped a division to play for Almagro. With the Tricolor, he played 30 matches and provided two assists. However, he couldn’t help his team reach the playoffs.

Tomás Galván

The attacking midfielder born in 2000 is another important name on the list. After loans at Defensa, Colón, and Tigre, he joined Vélez at the start of 2025 with Sebastián Domínguez, who had coached him at Tigre. In the Apertura, he alternated between starting and coming off the bench, and with Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s arrival, he became an important part of the team, scoring crucial goals such as against Estudiantes in the Supercopa Internacional and against Fortaleza in the Libertadores round of 16. In total, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder played 27 matches, scored four goals, and provided one assist. Another who could be a backup option considering the departures of Ignacio Fernández and Gonzalo Martínez, although Mellizo’s intention is for him to stay at the Fortín.

Franco Alfonso

When he debuted for the Red Band in January 2023, there were high hopes for the skillful winger, now 23. However, his performances on loan at Huracán and Central Córdoba diminished expectations. This year, with the Ferroviario, he played a secondary role: just 15 matches (only five as a starter) and didn’t contribute any goals.

Alexis González

The center forward from Misiones is one of those who spent his loan spell abroad: he played for Audax Italiano in Chile’s top division. There, he had a significant role in the Copa Chile, but not so much in the league. In total, he played 18 matches and scored three goals.

Tomás Nasif

The center forward of Syrian descent had a great start to 2025 with Banfield, after being a key player for River’s reserve team that won the championship last year. He scored on his debut against Defensa y Justicia and netted a brace in the thrashing of Newell’s. However, an ankle sprain at the start of February set him back for the following months. First, it sidelined him for six Apertura matches, and when he returned, he relapsed a few days later, which led to surgery. The recovery kept him out for almost all of the Clausura, and he only returned in the penultimate match against Aldosivi. In total: nine matches, three goals, and one assist for the Taladro.

Oswaldo Valencia

The diminutive Colombian center forward had his first professional experience in his home country, specifically with Cúcuta Deportivo. With the team that played that epic Libertadores semifinal against Boca in 2007 and now competes in the second division, he played 16 matches this year and couldn’t score any goals.

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