River v Belgrano: ‘Chacho’ Coudet reshuffles amid attack doubts | OneFootball

Eduardo Coudet’s team will look to extend its strong start at the Monumental. With Montiel and Acuña out, Chacho is reshuffling the defense and considering attacking alternatives to find greater fluidity in the team’s play.

River will take the field at the Monumental again this Sunday against Belgrano, and Eduardo Coudet is beginning to shape the lineup with which he will look to claim all three points. After an ideal start in terms of results, the coach will be forced into changes because of two major absences, while also planning attacking adjustments to give the team more spark.

The first thing Chacho knows for sure is that he will be without Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña. “Cachete,” River’s top scorer this year with four goals, is recovering from a tear in his left hamstring, an injury that also ruled him out of the Argentina national team. His replacement will be Fabricio Bustos, who returns to the starting lineup after not playing any minutes so far in 2026.

On the other flank, the absentee is Marcos Acuña. “Huevo,” a regular starter and a key player for Scaloni during the last FIFA window (where he started against Mauritania), will not be available due to suspension. Having picked up five yellow cards, he must serve a one-match ban, giving his place to Matías Viña.

Beyond those unavoidable tweaks, the coaching staff is also analyzing possible attacking changes, an area in which River is still searching for greater fluidity and clearer combinations.

The only player with a more or less guaranteed starting spot seems to be Sebastián Driussi, who has already scored two goals in this early spell. Although “Gordo” feels more comfortable playing alongside an out-and-out striker, the current circumstances are forcing him to play more centrally among the opposing center-backs.

The specific doubts are over who will flank him in attack. For one of the spots, Coudet is deciding between Ian Subiabre and Maximiliano Salas, while the other is being contested by Joaquín Freitas, Juan Fernando Quintero, and Kendry Páez.

River’s lineup vs. Belgrano in the Apertura Tournament

Santiago Beltrán; Fabricio Bustos, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, Matías Viña; Aníbal Moreno; Tomás Galván, Fausto Vera, Ian Subiabre or Maximiliano Salas; Sebastián Driussi and Joaquín Freitas or Juanfer Quintero or Kendry Páez.

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