Forward Ignacio Pussetto will not be called up for the next edition of the Avellaneda Classic due to an injury. The match between Independiente and Racing will take place next Saturday, April 4, starting at 17:30. According to the Argentine News Agency, the attacker, who has a past at Huracán, suffered a knee trauma. Although he tried to be ready until the last moment, the technical staff did not see him in a condition to be called up. His place in the squad will be taken by 18-year-old left winger Simón Bodnar, who has yet to make his debut in the First Division. Having returned to the starting lineup in recent matches, although he did not accumulate minutes in the past defeat against Talleres, the 30-year-old forward Ignacio Pussetto will have to miss the next match against Racing. According to reports, the attacker, who has a single goal in the Opening Tournament, in the 4-4 draw with Unión, suffers from an ailment in one of his knees and is not in a condition to be part of the concentration list. Being an important player in coach Gustavo Quinteros' cycle, with whom he has alternated starting with appearances from the bench, Pussetto will be left out of the call-up for the first time since his debut with the 'Red' shirt in mid-2025. Thus, without one of his options in attack, Quinteros will have to face a Classic that, in addition to the importance given by the eternal rivalry with the 'Academy', has an added spice: the coach is playing for his continuity. Despite a good start in his time at the team that plays at the Libertadores de América stadium – Ricardo Enrique Bochini, a bad run of results and the loss of defensive solidity have led the former Vélez coach to be questioned. Independiente won one of their last six matches in the local tournament, in addition to conceding eight goals in their last three matches, and they are dragging two consecutive defeats, being outside the playoff qualifying zone. In this context, a defeat against Racing could sentence Quinteros' time at Independiente, who debuted last September and, to date, has directed 20 matches, with eight wins, seven draws, and five defeats and a 51% effectiveness.
