The midfielder from Talleres, who wasn’t in the best physical condition, suffered a muscle tear, ruling him out of the upcoming decisive match against Newell’s.
By Tomás Modini
@ModiniTomas
Talleres will play everything this weekend against Newell’s. They must win and hope for a favor from Huracán against Vélez to have a chance to clinch the title. If Vélez wins, they will secure the title due to their superior goal difference.
In Córdoba, the team is already focused on the match against La Lepra, but the bad news surrounding Rubén Botta has cast a shadow. The midfielder, not fully recovered physically, has now been confirmed to be unavailable for Sunday’s match.
The former Colón player had been dealing with muscle fatigue that even kept him out of the second half of the last match against Gimnasia. The pain persisted, and medical tests confirmed the worst news for the team: Botta has suffered a muscle tear, ruling him out for the rest of the year.
Another player who won’t be available is Paraguayan Matías Galarza, who received his fifth yellow card and will serve a suspension. Matías Esquivel or Bruno Barticciotto, in a more offensive change, are the potential replacements in those positions. These are two key absences for coach Cacique Medina in terms of playmaking.
Are Two River Legends Leaving?
Despite the final match against Racing and the ongoing battle for the Liga Profesional title, where a series of results could see River fall into the Libertadores qualifiers, the focus has already shifted to the upcoming transfer window and potential squad changes.
Among those rumored to be leaving are Nacho Fernández and Milton Casco, two historic players and Copa América champions. The midfielder has fallen out of favor with Marcelo Gallardo due to some disappointing performances, and he could leave River in the upcoming summer transfer market.
Gimnasia has already expressed interest in bringing him back and has made contact. However, media close to River’s “La Banda” suggest that Gallardo won’t tell him directly that he’s no longer needed. If Fernández wants to stay, he’ll need to have a strong preseason and get back to his physical and footballing best.
Casco’s situation is similar, but with a few added factors. The full-back has played a significant number of minutes at the end of the season due to Marcos Acuña’s injury, and he performed well. Casco has earned the chance to stay and may wait for a potential exit of the other left-back, Enzo Díaz, who has received offers, and the club sees no problem in selling him.
Milton, who is on a select list of players with the most Libertadores appearances for River, is also being closely monitored by Gimnasia, who are looking for experience for the upcoming season.
Gustavo Quinteros and the Rotation Dilemma
Beyond the Liga Profesional’s final decision, Vélez has a crucial match tonight against Central Córdoba in Santa Fe, which will determine their other objective of the semester: the Copa Argentina.
Due to the heavy schedule and the upcoming match against Huracán, the coach plans to rotate his squad, similar to what he did against Boca. In that match, Agustín Bouzat and Thiago Fernández rested from the start.
This time, the rotation could involve one change per line. In defense, Emmanuel Mammana is a certainty, as he will be suspended for the match against Huracán due to accumulated yellow cards, but could partner with Damián Fernández, giving Valentín Gómez a rest after picking up a knock.
In midfield, Claudio Aquino could be benched to make way for Maher Carrizo, and the same could happen for Francisco Pizzini, who might be replaced by Michael Santos, to play with a double striker formation, or by Jalil Elías, which would allow Bouzat to be more offensive.
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