River to field youngsters vs Atlético Tucumán, focus on Libertadores | OneFootball

River doesn’t have time for regrets and is already turning the page after the defeat to Palmeiras at the Monumental, not only focusing on the rematch—which is the absolute priority—but also on their commitment against Atlético Tucumán this Saturday. For the Millonario, matchday 9 of the Torneo Clausura is a nuisance because it overlaps with the Copa Libertadores tie, which is why Marcelo Gallardo will field a substitute lineup full of young players.

The team will only begin to take shape in the final training session this afternoon, minutes after a squad list is announced that will not include many regular starters and will be packed with the club’s youngsters. The message is clear: all efforts are aimed at Wednesday in Brazil, for the return leg of the quarterfinals.

Although River is currently first in Group B and needs a good result in Tucumán to prevent Deportivo Riestra (second with two points less) from snatching the top spot, the truth is they have a comfortable margin when it comes to qualifying for the decisive stages. That’s why, and considering that Palmeiras is the most important match of the year, the Muñeco will field a completely alternative lineup.

A sign pointing to this scenario is that Juan Cruz Meza and Bautista Dadín only played one half in River’s Reserve team’s win over Malevo this Thursday. Both will travel to Tucumán and even have a real chance of starting.

Along those lines, other youngsters like Santiago Lencina, Agustín de la Cuesta, and even Ian Subiabre—who is negotiating his contract renewal to determine his participation in the U-20 World Cup—are in line to play on Saturday at 9:15 p.m. at the Estadio Monumental José Fierro.

With the squad list and the final evening training session this Friday, Gallardo will give more shape and certainty to a plan designed strictly for the return leg against Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores. River must overturn the tie in Brazil and cannot afford to lose any key players in Tucumán.

River’s probable lineup vs. Atlético Tucumán Jeremías Ledesma; Fabricio Bustos, Sebastián Boselli, Ulises Giménez, Milton Casco; Santiago Lencina, Agustín De La Cuesta, Juan Cruz Meza, Matías Galarza; Ian Subiabre and Bautista Dadín.

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