Marcos Acuña ruled out for River’s Apertura opener | OneFootball

El Huevo will miss the first match of the tournament due to the injury he suffered on his foot, and the Uruguayan will have his official debut from the start. Armani will be waited on until the last moment.

River returned to practice after concluding the preseason with a penalty shootout victory against Peñarol, and the news of the day is that Marcos Acuña will miss the debut against Barracas Central due to the injury he has been dealing with on one of his feet. In contrast, Marcelo Gallardo will still wait for Franco Armani, who might just make it by Saturday.

El Huevo missed the entire preseason due to a stomp he suffered against Racing on November 24th of last year. With kinesiology exercises and fieldwork, but without pressure, he has been doing a particular conditioning that currently finds him without physical or football rhythm. The world champion did not participate in any formal exercises and missed the two summer friendlies, against Millonarios and Manya.

Since it's only the first match of a season that's just beginning, the Muñeco doesn't want to rush. Moreover, the good minutes played by Matías Viña since his arrival give him the confidence that the left-back position will be well covered. It will be the official debut of the Uruguayan, who ended up being one of the best for River in the second preparation match.

As for Armani, only on Saturday will he complete the mandatory 21 days since his right calf strain, and lacking rhythm, it remains to be seen if the Muñeco decides to risk him at the start of the Apertura. The good news is that due to the good performances by the young Santiago Beltrán, currently the main substitute following Jeremías Ledesma's departure and Ezequiel Centurión's injury, Armani could allow himself another week of reconditioning.

The good news of the morning was the recovery of Fabricio Bustos, who wasn't among the squad against Peñarol due to a muscle strain. The right-back will have no issues being on the bench at the Claudio Chiqui Tapia Stadium, as an alternative to an unmovable Gonzalo Montiel from the starting lineup.

With a defense that will only vary in the '3' position due to Acuña's absence, the big question is in the midfield. Fausto Vera and Aníbal Moreno are shaping up as the starting tandem, but the trident they formed with Kevin Castaño was not convincing. Linear and lacking football flair, that midfield had no impact in Peñarol's area.

For this reason, Gallardo is considering replacing the Colombian with a midfielder with more offensive presence. Giuliano Galoppo, Tomás Galván, and Santiago Lencina are some of the options being considered. Up front, Juan Fernando Quintero and two forwards, likely Facundo Colidio and Sebastián Driussi, although Maximiliano Salas also has a chance to play. Everything will be decided in Thursday's tactical session.

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