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. They will wait for Armani until the last moment.

River returned to practice after the preseason ended with the 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 for Saturday.

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

Since it is only the first match of a new season, the Muñeco does not 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 for 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 21-day recovery period from 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 the departure of Jeremías Ledesma and the injury of Ezequiel Centurión, Armani might allow himself another week of readjustment.

The good news of the morning was the recovery of Fabricio Bustos, who was not among those concentrated against Peñarol due to muscle overload. The right-back will have no problems being on the bench at the Claudio Chiqui Tapia Stadium, as an alternative to an irreplaceable Gonzalo Montiel in 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 trio they formed with Kevin Castaño did not convince. 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.