Two returns and one possible change as River's starters face San Lorenzo | OneFootball

River came away from the agonizing, hard-fought win over Carabobo in Venezuela with a lot of positives. For the second time (the first had also been against this same opponent), Eduardo Coudet opted for heavy rotation and still took all three points. Once the euphoria from Maxi Salas’ stunning goal had passed, the squad returned to Buenos Aires and, ahead of the match against Huracán, the coach is preparing a team with the usual starters and two highly anticipated returns: Fausto Vera and Sebastián Driussi. There could also be one change.

Chacho stressed in successive press conferences that the absence of the former Argentinos player and the team’s starting No. 9 had had a very significant impact on the way the team functioned. In fact, after both went out, the level clearly dropped and the only two defeats of his spell in charge followed: against Boca and Atlético Tucumán, both at the Monumental.

That is why the return of both players is great news for the coach: for the first time since the first meeting with Carabobo (April 15), he will once again be able to field his ideal starting XI. Vera, after recovering from a sprain to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, will again partner Aníbal Moreno in midfield; and Driussi, who has overcome yet another muscle tear, will once again be the team’s center forward.

But the big development is the possibility of Maximiliano Meza entering the starting lineup. After suffering an avulsion of the patellar tendon in his left knee on November 9, 2025, against Boca, the midfielder returned to action last Sunday against Atlético Tucumán, starting right away, and last night he had a good game — including a goal — in the win over Carabobo. If he is physically fit, he could earn a place in the team to host Huracán in the round of 16.

With those three developments, all positive for a squad that had lost several pieces in recent weeks, Coudet was able to make sure almost everyone got some rest as River looks to advance in the Torneo Apertura, while also moving to the brink of getting through the Copa Sudamericana group stage.

In conclusion, the XI Chacho could field would be: Santiago Beltrán; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, Marcos Acuña; Aníbal Moreno, Fausto Vera, Tomás Galván, Maxi Meza or Ian Subiabre; Facundo Colidio and Sebastián Driussi.

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