Alarm bells at River: Montiel a doubt for the clash with Vélez | OneFootball

As if River’s outlook ahead of the final match against Vélez wasn’t already complicated enough in their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 Copa Libertadores, just days before the game in Liniers, bad news shook Núñez: Gonzalo Montiel is doubtful for Sunday’s match and could join the long list of absentees.

Cachete hasn’t suffered any new physical setback, but it’s worth remembering that he started against Boca even though he hadn’t fully recovered from a sprain in his left knee. Due to the importance of the match, the defender was risked with less than ten days of recovery, but now Marcelo Gallardo and the medical staff are considering the possibility of letting him rest.

While it’s clear that River has a lot at stake against El Fortín—both to secure their playoff spot and at least make it into the Libertadores playoff (they are currently fourth, in the Copa Sudamericana zone)—internally, they are also weighing the risk of aggravating the injury by playing him again.

In Thursday’s training session, he worked separately and did not participate in ball work with the rest of the squad. Therefore, the upcoming training sessions leading up to Sunday, where he will be evaluated and tested, will be crucial. The news at this point in the week is that Montiel’s presence against Vélez is a question mark.

The sprain he suffered is not considered seriously concerning, as it’s an injury that usually requires two to three weeks of recovery, but having him play again without respecting the ideal rehabilitation time is risky.

If Gallardo’s final decision is to rest Montiel, he will be replaced at right back by Fabricio Bustos, bearing in mind that Milton Casco will replace Marcos Acuña, who is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards.

The six absences River will have against Vélez

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