Every manager has tough decisions to make each match when it comes to team selection. Which players warrant a spot in the starting XI? For River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo, he's had to figure out what exactly to do this week with over 20 confirmed COVID cases in the squad. On Sunday, in a 1-0 loss to rival Boca Juniors in their Argentine league quarterfinal round, Gallardo had to use his reserve team's goalkeeper on top of a whole bunch of other backups.
If you thought that was bad, just wait till you see what's set to happen on Wednesday night. Ahead of facing Sante Fe in the Copa Libertadores, all four registered goalkeepers have tested positive for COVID, meaning the team is likely to start a field player in goal. River asked CONMEBOL for the emergency inclusion of reserve goalkeepers, including Leo Diaz who performed well against Boca, but were denied.
Ole is reporting that the team will likely start former Benfica and Valencia midfielder Enzo Perez, while also facing the possibility of only being able to field a 10-man team, with injuries also adding up.
River sit in second place in Group D with six points with two games remaining.
As for Perez, him playing goalkeeper isn't ideal, obviously, but he's been practicing in goal and looks set to be the guy. That certainly changes the dynamic against a Sante Fe team that has three goals scored in four games. Viewers can expect to see the Colombian side to try their luck from outside the box early, trying to see if they can be on the right side of a blunder in a game they really need to win.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, and you can watch the match on fuboTV (Try for free).
