Bad news for River: Driussi will miss the rest of the Club World Cup due to injury

River's start in the Club World Cup had both positive and negative aspects. Although the team led by Marcelo Gallardo began its journey with a 3-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan in Group E, it suffered the significant loss of Sebastián Driussi, which complicates the aspirations of the Millonario.

At the beginning of the second half, the Millonario forward had put his team two goals ahead with a header over the Japanese goalkeeper, however, he had to leave the field immediately afterward due to a bad fall, being replaced by Miguel Borja. After undergoing medical tests, it was confirmed that the forward has a severe sprain of the internal ligament in his left ankle.

As a consequence of the injury,  Driussi won't be able to play either in the match against Rayados de Monterrey, which will be played on Saturday, June 21 at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles at 10 p.m., nor against Inter Milan, a match scheduled for Wednesday the 25th in Seattle at the same time.

However, the concern doesn't end there. Looking ahead to the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores against Libertad from Paraguay, which will be played on the 14th in Asunción and on August 21 at the Monumental, his presence is also in doubt. This scenario presents an additional challenge for Gallardo and his coaching staff in this demanding stretch of the calendar.

Driussi's possible replacements

With the confirmed absence of the former Austin player, Muñeco will have to consider who will take his place, and he has several possible alternatives. The first, and the main replacement, would be Miguel Borja. The Colombian hasn't shown a good level in his recent matches, but he remains one of the key pieces of the team this season with 6 goals and 2 assists in 25 matches.

The other options could be Ian Subiabre, Gonzalo Tapia, and Juan Bautista Dadín. In the case of Subiabre, since he isn't a natural number 9, Gallardo would have to change positions without changing the formation, sending him to the wing and positioning Colidio in Driussi's place. On the other hand, if Muñeco opts for Tapia he would have to make the same move, although he would be lower in his considerations due to lack of playing time, while if he chooses Dadín, top scorer of the Reserve, he would make his absolute debut in River's first team, a somewhat risky bet, but not unusual for Gallardo.

Finally, there is a possible fifth option: Adam Bareiro. Given Driussi's injury, the coaching staff could make an emergency call to the Paraguayan, who is in Buenos Aires after returning from his loan at Al-Rayyan in Qatar, but he would only be able to join starting from a possible advance to the round of 16.