Buenos Aires, Jan 9 (NA) – Independiente's coach, Gustavo Quinteros, led the morning practice in Uruguay, finalizing details for the starting lineup that will face Alianza Lima of Peru this Saturday in a friendly match. According to the Argentine News Agency, the Avellaneda-based team trained at the 'Los Aromos' facility, belonging to Peñarol of Montevideo. The coach set up two teams thinking about Saturday's friendly against Alianza Lima at the Alfredo Víctor Viera stadium, as part of the Río de la Plata Series. During the training session, Quinteros suffered the absences of central defender Nicolás Freire and young midfielder Tomás Parmo, both due to muscle overload. It is expected they will rejoin the squad on Saturday. Taking these two absences into account, the coach set up a starting lineup that would not vary much from the one that ended 2025. It would start the friendly against the Peruvians in a 4-3-3 formation, with captain Rodrigo Rey in goal, the defense composed of Leonardo Godoy, Kevin Lomónaco, Sebastián Valdez, and Facundo Zabala, the midfield trio formed by Uruguayan Rodrigo Fernández Cedrés, Chilean Felipe Loyola, and Luciano Cabral, and the three forwards: Santiago Montiel, Uruguayan Matías Abaldo, and Paraguayan Gabriel Ávalos. For the substitute team, he used the same tactical system and it was formed by goalkeeper Joaquín Blázquez, defenders Luciano Barros Ayala, Juan Manuel Fedorco, Freire, and Milton Valenzuela, midfielders Iván Marcone, Mateo Pérez Curci, and Lautaro Millán, and forwards Walter Mazzantti, Josías Palais, and Ignacio Pussetto. At the moment Freire felt the muscle strain and had to leave the training session, defender Valdez moved to the substitute team, and youth Gonzalo Bordón took his place in the starting lineup. This Saturday, starting at 9 PM at the Alfredo Victor Viera stadium, 'Rojo' will face Alianza Lima of Peru in the first of three friendlies it will play at that venue. However, 'Rojo' executives decided not to advance in the negotiation due to the high salary he receives at Boca, furthermore, the former Tigre player would be close to a move to Argentinos Juniors. The other option that appears on the horizon is that of the veteran and experienced Chilean defender, Mauricio Isla, currently a free agent after his stay at Colo-Colo and a brief period at Independiente between 2023 and 2024. At 35 years old, the two-time America's Cup champion with the Chilean national team left a good impression during his time at Independiente, where he played 32 matches and scored two goals, but his departure was controversial, leaving the club overnight without any explanation. After a year and a half at Colo-Colo where he played 51 matches, scored 2 goals, and won the Chilean Super Cup and the domestic championship, the former Juventus of Italy player is now a free agent. At 37, he appears again on Independiente's radar. Coach Quinteros is not displeased with the possibility, but no progress has been made with the Chilean yet, and if the board decides to do so, they must first know if the player wants to return to Argentina. The second match will be on Tuesday against Everton of Chile and on Friday they will play the last one against the local Montevideo Wanderers. After the departure of Vera, Blondel, and Isla, the main options. Boca's defender Lucas Blondel and the experienced Chilean free agent with a past at Independiente, Mauricio Isla, were offered to Independiente to become replacements for Federico Vera, the right-back recently loaned to Huracán. Relegated at Boca at the request of coach Gustavo Quinteros, Independiente executives communicated with their counterparts from the La Ribera club to ask about conditions for the 29-year-old Swiss-Argentine right-back. The player is seeking playing time to be back in consideration for the Switzerland national team for the June World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
