Crisis-hit Racing have plenty at stake v Caracas in Sudamericana | OneFootball

Racing coach Gustavo Costas will rest his starters with Huracán in mind and could field mostly backups

Racing faces a decisive week shaped by physical wear and tear, as this Wednesday at 7 p.m. they will visit Caracas at the UCV Olympic Stadium for the third matchday of Copa Sudamericana Group E, with a strong chance of putting out a mixed lineup.

Racing fields an alternate team

The trip to Venezuela complicated the planning. The squad left Monday at noon and arrived around 11 p.m., after a layover in Bogotá, totaling 11 hours of travel. The team was affected by fatigue and will only have one training session before the match. Gustavo Costas is looking to preserve his starters with Sunday’s key clash against Huracán in the Apertura Tournament in mind.

The absences of Santiago Sosa, due to muscle overload, and Adrián “Maravilla” Martínez, due to a knee sprain, are a major blow. The striker could even miss the rest of the semester. Both stayed in Buenos Aires focused on the domestic tournament.

In this context, names such as Martirena, Colombo, Rojo, García Basso, Ignacio Rodríguez, Baltasar, Forneris, and “Toto” Fernández appear as options to be part of the starting eleven. Up front, without Martínez, the question is who will take his place, with Pizarro as one option.

The team’s current form does not help either: Racing has won only one of its last six matches. In the cup they have three points and need a win to improve their position in the group. A victory in Caracas would leave them in a strong position to advance.

On the domestic front, Huracán’s loss changed the picture. Racing depends on itself: if it wins on Sunday, it will make the playoffs, although it will also need to wait for other results.

Caracas, meanwhile, comes in after being eliminated from the Venezuelan tournament, but unbeaten in the cup. They drew with Botafogo and beat Independiente Petrolero. The team is being managed on an interim basis by Henry Meléndez following the departure of Fernando Aristeguieta.

Costas has recovered Martirena, Nacho Rodríguez, Rojo, and García Basso, although they would start on the bench. He also included “Toto” Fernández despite his red card against Barracas.

Probable lineups

Caracas: Frankarlos Benítez; Eduardo Fereira, Francisco La Mantia, Luis Mago, Jesús Yendis; Christian Larotonda, Wilfred Correa; Charly Vegas, Lucciano Reinoso, Michael Covea; Adrián Fernández. Coach: Fernando Aristeguieta.__IP__

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