The Ponzio squad practiced in Ezeiza without Beltrán, Andrada, and Almada. With three weeks without official matches, the coach is considering a closed-door match on Saturday to maintain the rhythm
River Plate returned to work at the Ezeiza training ground this Wednesday with a very reduced squad. The absence of the players called up by Lionel Scaloni marked the day and left Leonardo Ponzio with few options to form the team. Santiago Beltrán, Tobías Andrada, and Thiago Almada were not present due to their call-up to the Argentine National Team.
However, Almada will no longer be part of the national team list. The midfielder was injured last Saturday against Huracán and was withdrawn from the squad. He will return to River Camp to begin his recovery and will not travel for the friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. The rest of the called-up players will travel and will be present on October 6 at the Monumental, the day of Lionel Messi's last match with the sky blue and white.
The 2-1 defeat against Huracán left the Millonario far from the fight in the annual table and without official activity this weekend. Ponzio is facing three weeks without tournament commitments and is looking for alternatives to keep the group from losing rhythm. One of the options being strongly considered is to organize a closed-door friendly against Vélez on Saturday.
The Fortín also has no match scheduled due to the FIFA Date, so both clubs could meet in an informal match. It is not yet defined whether the usual starters will take the field, with the logical exceptions of those called up, or if the priority will be to give minutes to the substitutes who have had little continuity.
River trained without the players called up by Scaloni and would play a friendly against Vélez - TyC Sports
The Custom of Closed Friendlies
Since taking office, Ponzio has been applying the same strategy during breaks. After victories against Independiente Rivadavia and Atlético Tucumán, he organized short matches against All Boys and Estudiantes de Buenos Aires. The idea has always been the same: to maintain the competitive tone of those who do not accumulate many minutes in official matches.
Now the scenario repeats itself. The next formal commitment for the Millonario will be on Saturday, October 10, against Estudiantes de Río Cuarto at the Monumental, corresponding to matchday 12. Only on Wednesday, October 14, will they face Sarmiento for matchday 11, which was postponed. In the meantime, the coach wants to prevent the team from cooling down.
River's objective in the final stretch of the Clausura is clear. In Zone B, they are eighth on goal difference and are the last of the teams qualified for the playoffs. Any improvement in position would allow them, at the very least, to play the round of 16 at home. In the annual table, they also occupy the eighth position, with 42 points, nine behind leaders Independiente Rivadavia and five behind Boca, the last team qualified for the next Copa Libertadores.
Almada's presence at the training ground will be important for the medical staff. The player needs recovery time, and the club wants to take care of him for the remainder of the tournament. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad will continue working with their sights set on the possible friendly on Saturday and the arrival of the internationals after the national team break.
The Return of the National Team Players
When Beltrán and Andrada return, they will join a group that is trying to reorder its path. The match on October 6 at the Monumental will have a special symbolic value due to Messi's farewell, but it will also mark the return of several River players to the club. In addition to the called-up players, Otamendi, Acuña, and Montiel will be there, all somehow linked to the institution.
Ponzio will have to manage these returns and decide how to distribute the workload. The priority is to arrive in the best possible condition for the decisive stretch of the championship. The friendly against Vélez, if confirmed, would serve as a bridge between the long break and the resumption of official competition.
The club understands that the moment is delicate. The defeat against Huracán generated frustration, and the distance from the top positions forces them to accumulate three points in almost all remaining matches. Therefore, the coaching staff is looking for any instance of competition, even if informal and behind closed doors, to not lose the thread of training.
The final decision on the friendly will be known in the coming hours. In the meantime, River continues to work in Ezeiza with a depleted squad and the conviction that every day of training counts in a season that is becoming increasingly demanding.
