Simón Cleared to Return as Gallardo Faces Midfield Crisis Before Key Inter Clash

River Plate's hopes of reaching the Club World Cup Round of 16 hinge on their final Group E match against Inter. But they'll have to do it without their starting midfield trio, all suspended. In the midst of this crisis, Marcelo Gallardo received a timely boost, as TyC Sports reported: Santiago Simón has been medically cleared and could rejoin the squad just in time.

Simón had been sidelined for several weeks with a right quadriceps strain and missed the tournament's opening games. Now back training with the team in Seattle, the youth academy product offers a fresh option—even if he’s short on minutes and had recently fallen down the pecking order.

“Everyone must be ready,” Gallardo said after the draw with Monterrey, where River lost Enzo Pérez, Kevin Castaño, and Giuliano Galoppo to yellow card accumulation. Pérez voiced his frustration: “They gave Castaño and me yellow cards way too quickly.”

With Simón back, the manager faces the challenge of reshaping his midfield. Meza and Mastantuono are expected to keep their places, but the rest of the puzzle includes candidates like Kranevitter, Aliendro, Rojas, and Lanzini—the latter with a more attacking profile. And with Driussi also unavailable, Gallardo must find the right balance to take on a formidable opponent: last season’s Champions League runner-up.