Due to injury, Juan Nardoni in Racing will not play against Lanús. Because he is not at 100% of his physical condition, the Academy midfielder was left out of the 23 named by Gustavo Costas for this Thursday’s match, starting at 9:15 p.m., at the Granate. That is, he will perform again after the break.
Beyond the discomfort, Nardoni still has a high chance of being part of the Under 23 team that will face the Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France, between July 26 and August 11. If summoned, and if Argentina advances, the former Unión (and also Marco Di Cesare) will miss matches with the Academy because this competition is outside the control of FIFA. And therefore, local championships will not be interrupted.
Another of the midfielders who was not called up by Costas is Leonel Miranda, who will no longer wear the Academy shirt. At the end of the year his contract will expire and the club will not renew it because he is not in the coach’s plans. He played his last game on March 30, when he entered the second half of the match with Central Córdoba from Santiago del Estero. Without Nardoni or Miranda, everything leads to Bruno Zuculini reappearing from the start, along with Agustín Almendra or Baltasar Luis Rodríguez. Santiago Solari and Johan Carbonero will also return after injuries, but since they are not 100% they would go to the substitutes’ bench.
Beyond Nardoni and the injury, Racing wants to go on leave at the top of the championship after the crossing with Lanús
Names aside, the Academy will defend its leadership in the table to try to go on vacation with that satisfaction before the start of the preseason. The team will resume work on Thursday the 27th in Avellaneda and the next day they will travel to Paraguay to carry out the most intense part of the break in Ciudad del Este. It will remain there until July 6. The Academy will play again in the League on the weekend of Sunday, July 21, when it hosts Godoy Cruz. It will be a week after the end of the Copa América.
As for the midfield, Costas has already made it clear that he wants to add another midfielder. Beyond Nardoni and Zuculini, the coach wants one more replacement in this position. “A central midfielder is one of the positions you are interested in,” the coach warned in dialogue with TNT Sports. Joao Ortiz, an Ecuadorian who will play in the Copa América and plays for Independiente del Valle, is one of those targeted by the coaching staff. Costas also requested a full-back on the left to be a replacement option for Gabriel Rojas. And in case Roger Martínez leaves in this transfer market, the Academy will go for a center forward.
Cover photo: Racing Press.
