The 12 players set to return to River to be assessed by Gallardo | OneFootball

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

After a disastrous end to 2025, Marcelo Gallardo began a significant 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 assess the 12 players returning from their respective loans on January 1st to see if any 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 penalty shootout hero was Gonzalo Marinelli, he was key in the shootouts against Platense and especially against River in the semifinals, saving a shot from Miguel Borja. Guarding the goal for La Lepra, 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 Mendoza side 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 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 a spot for him in River’s first team, as happened with Lautaro Rivero. However, he was never considered by Frank Darío Kudelka and only played 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 only 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 loaned to Sarmiento de Junín during 2025. Although he started the year as a substitute, by late February he began to gain importance in the team and since then 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 after Enzo Pérez’s departure.

Tobías Leiva

At 21, the native of Ingeniero Budge had a year that started strong and faded. Despite being on the bench for River in 2024, he couldn’t debut for the first team and in January was loaned to Aldosivi. 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 with the Tiburón shirt.

Tiago Serrago

The 21-year-old midfielder, who can play as an attacking midfielder or 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 goal that gave the Mar del Plata side 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, provided one assist, and was key to Tiburón’s heroic survival.

Tomás Castro Ponce

The 24-year-old right midfielder made his first-team debut for River at the end of 2020, in a win over Rosario Central in the Copa Maradona. Since then, he hasn’t played any more minutes and has been loaned out repeatedly; he went to Godoy Cruz, Atlético Tucumán, and this year dropped a division to play for Almagro. For 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, at the start of 2025 he joined Vélez with Sebastián Domínguez, who had previously coached him at Tigre. In the Apertura, he alternated between starting and coming off the bench and, with the arrival of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, became an important part of the team, scoring key goals such as against Estudiantes in the Supercopa Internacional and against Fortaleza in the Copa Libertadores round of 16. In total, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder played 27 matches, scored four goals, and provided one assist. He could also be a backup option, considering the departures of Ignacio Fernández and Gonzalo Martínez, although Mellizo wants him to stay at El Fortín.

Franco Alfonso

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

Alexis González

The center forward from Misiones is among those who were loaned abroad: he played for Audax Italiano in Chile’s Primera División. 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 in 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 rout over Newell’s. However, an ankle sprain suffered in early 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, requiring surgery. The recovery kept him out for almost the entire Clausura, and he only returned in the penultimate match against Aldosivi. In total: nine matches, three goals, and one assist for Banfield.

Oswaldo Valencia

The diminutive Colombian center forward had his first professional experience in his home country, specifically with Cúcuta Deportivo. For 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.