Barrios and Rasmussen on the brink of suspension at Colón | OneFootball

Colón did not return from Caseros concerned only about Federico Lértora’s injury. The draw against Estudiantes de Buenos Aires also left Ezequiel Medrán with another issue to watch: the disciplinary situation of his two starting center backs.

Pier Barrios and Federico Rasmussen are both one booking away from suspension, as each has already accumulated four yellow cards and another caution would automatically rule them out for one match during a very demanding stretch of the championship.

The issue is not a minor one. Especially because Colón is facing a tough run, with four of its next six matches away from Santa Fe — precisely the setting where it has struggled the most to maintain its level and get results.

While the Sabalero looks solid and effective at the Brigadier López, away from home it still has not managed to find consistency. It has won just one away match in the championship, and every absence can have a major impact on the team’s structure.

Barrios quickly became a defensive leader and has played 13 matches, with 1,161 minutes on the field and four yellow cards. Rasmussen, another of the key figures in the red-and-black back line, has also played all 13 matches of the tournament and has logged 1,170 minutes.

In this context, the situation becomes even more significant because of the possible scenario involving Lértora. The captain went off injured in the first half against Estudiantes de Caseros and will undergo tests in the coming hours to determine the extent of the muscle problem in his adductor area.

If the midfielder is unable to play against Mitre de Santiago del Estero, Colón would lose one of its great footballing and emotional leaders. That is why keeping the center-back pairing available now appears to be a priority for Medrán.

The coaching staff knows that a decisive stage of the Primera Nacional is coming up and that the margin for error is getting smaller and smaller. So, in addition to thinking about the next opponent, at Colón they are also starting to do the math and keep a very close eye on the yellow cards.

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