Overview

• River expects roughly 15 absences for Sunday’s 19:15 match at the Monumental due to international call-ups, injuries and suspensions, pushing Gallardo to rely on reserves for depth.
• The call-ups include Gonzalo Montiel, Marcos Acuña and Lautaro Rivero to Argentina, Juan Fernando Quintero and Kevin Castaño to Colombia, and Matías Galarza to Paraguay, with travel to Miami, Texas and Asia complicating quick returns, plus Ian Subiabre away with Argentina U-20.
• Juan Portillo is suspended after his red card against Rosario Central, and Maximiliano Salas has one match left on a two-game ban that River plans to ask the AFA Tribunal to reduce.
• The injury list features Enzo Pérez, Sebastián Driussi, Germán Pezzella, Maximiliano Meza, Giorgio Costantini, Agustín Ruberto and Gonzalo Martínez, with Pérez and Driussi being evaluated for potential late fitness.
• Assistant coach Hernán Buján was named in the referee’s report over a halftime altercation and now awaits a Tribunal de Disciplina review, as River seeks to halt a three-match Clausura skid in an unusual round scheduled during a FIFA date.