The "dark horse" at Tatengue: Paz ahead of cotton-wool Álvarez | OneFootball

Amid a landscape that seemed closed off to him, Nicolás Paz is back in the picture at Unión. The defender, who has not played a single minute throughout the 2026 season, has emerged as Leonardo Madelón’s main option to replace the suspended Lautaro Vargas in the crucial clash against Estudiantes de La Plata.

The match will be played this Saturday starting at 5:15 p.m. at Estadio UNO, for Matchday 14 of Zone A in the Apertura Tournament, with Yael Falcón Pérez as referee.

A return after nearly a year of inactivity

Paz’s possible place in the starting lineup is no minor detail: his last official match was on May 13, 2025, in the defeat against Mushuc Runa in the Copa Sudamericana. Since then, a series of factors—including an ankle injury and tactical decisions—kept him on the sidelines.

Although Madelón has always publicly praised his qualities, that assessment had never translated into minutes on the pitch. Now, Vargas’s fifth yellow card opens an unexpected door for him that could mark a turning point in his current situation.

Álvarez’s situation and the opportunity for Paz

Although at first the natural replacement seemed to be Uruguayan Emiliano Álvarez, a muscle issue suffered in the clash against Agropecuario in the Copa Argentina changed the plans. While Álvarez has progressed favorably, he would not be at full fitness, which ultimately tips the balance in Paz’s favor to take over at right-back.

Just one change in search of consistency

Beyond the forced change in defense, the coaching staff would choose to keep the core of the team that comes off a 2-0 win over Deportivo Riestra, banking on the footballing improvement shown recently.

Barring any unexpected developments, Tatengue would line up as follows:

Matías Mansilla; Nicolás Paz, Maizon Rodríguez, Juan Pablo Ludueña and Mateo Del Blanco; Julián Palacios, Mauro Pittón, Rafael Profini and Brahian Cuello; Marcelo Estigarribia and Cristian Tarragona.

For Nicolás Paz, the match in La Plata represents a trial by fire. After a 2026 without game time, he will have the chance to show why the coaching staff still trusts him, in a team that needs to establish itself to avoid complications in the standings.

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