Rivero and Acuña set for national team call-up, will miss River vs Vélez | OneFootball

Bad news keeps piling up for River. Marcelo Gallardo’s team fell to Gimnasia at the Monumental, complicating their qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. This defeat matches a disastrous streak from 1926: four consecutive home losses. The Millonario now focuses on the last two matches of the first phase of the Torneo Clausura (against Boca and Vélez, both away). In addition, for the crucial match in Liniers, the team could suffer the important absences of Marcos Acuña and Lautaro Rivero.

Just like during the previous FIFA break, Lionel Scaloni is expected to call up River’s two defenders again for the friendly against Angola on Friday, 11/14. Therefore, they will be unavailable for the clash against Vélez at the Amalfitani.

Amid all this, the good news for Gallardo is that, by avoiding yellow cards in the last match against El Lobo, both players are guaranteed to be available for the Superclásico on Sunday the 9th against Boca. Afterwards, they will travel to Africa to join the national team delegation.

However, looking ahead to the final fixture, defensive concerns extend to Lucas Martínez Quarta. He is also one yellow card away from suspension and, if booked against Boca, would miss the crucial match against Vélez at the Amalfitani.

In the worst-case scenario (if Martínez Quarta joins Acuña and Rivero as absentees due to call-ups), River would face Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s team with an improvised central defense. Possible replacements would be Sebastián Boselli and Paulo Díaz in the back line and Milton Casco on the left flank.

An alternative being considered, although one Núñez would prefer to avoid, is to move Juan Carlos Portillo back, who has already performed as a central defender for River and adapts well to the left-back position. However, fielding a defense with three key absences is a situation the coaching staff does not even want to consider.

Amid this scenario, Gallardo’s first confirmed absence for the Superclásico has been announced: Facundo Colidio left the field injured, and tests conducted this Monday confirmed he suffered a tear in his left hamstring, ruling him out for the matches against Boca and Vélez.

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