Jorge Almirón will make sweeping changes to the Rosario Central lineup for this Sunday's Liga Profesional match against Barracas Central. The manager is resting all his regular starters with an eye on the upcoming Copa Libertadores clash against Corinthians in Brazil, as reported by Diario La Opinión.
The Torneo Clausura match will be played at Barracas's stadium starting at 20:15 and broadcast on TNT Sports. Pablo Dóvalo will be the main referee, with Andrés Merlos on VAR duty. This tactical decision comes after El Canalla secured back-to-back wins against River Plate and Aldosivi, results that boosted the squad's morale. With seven points, the Rosario-based team aims to stay in the fight for the top spots in Zone B, where Barracas currently sits with nine points.
What will the alternative lineup look like?
The probable lineup presented by Almirón would feature Axel Werner in goal. The defensive line would consist of Damián Verón, Carlos Quintana, Juan Cruz Raffin, and Alan Soto. In midfield, Tomás Navarro and Pol Fernández would act as central midfielders. The attack would be formed by Ignacio Segovia, Julián Fernández or Kevin Cabrera, Maximiliano Oviedo, and youth striker Tobías Badaloni.
This lineup reflects the squad depth the club has built to handle a congested fixture list. Several of these players have limited minutes this season but are considered valid options by the coaching staff. The performance of this alternative team will be key to maintaining the club's positive streak, which you can follow on our stats page.
What is Rosario Central aiming for with this move?
The primary goal is to arrive in the best possible condition for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 against Corinthians. That match will be played in Brazil and is the absolute priority for the sporting project at this stage of the season. Almirón has previously emphasized the importance of managing the squad's workload in a demanding schedule.
A victory against Barracas, however, is also important for the domestic league table. A win would allow Central to overtake their immediate rival and close in on the leading positions in the group. Damian Ayude's team, meanwhile, arrives after a 2-0 loss to Gimnasia that ended a run of three consecutive victories.
How is Barracas Central shaping up for the match?
El Guapo started the Clausura in good form and their nine points place them among the contenders in Zone B. Their probable lineup to host Central would be with Marcelo Miño in goal; Kevin Jappert, Nicolás Capraro, Nicolás Demartini, and Rafael Barrios in defense; Dardo Miloc, Iván Tapia, and Rodrigo Insúa in midfield; and Tomás Porra, Facundo Bruera, and Jhonatan Candia up front.
This team has shown defensive solidity at home and will look to exploit any early disarray from a rival making so many changes. To see all the details of the opponent's squad, fans can check our updated squad section.
What other matches are being played this round?
The fifth round of the Torneo Clausura continues this Sunday with other fixtures. At 15:00, Sarmiento de Junín will take on Huracán. At 18:00, River Plate faces Argentinos Juniors. Finally, at 20:15, parallel to Central's match, the duel between Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero and Instituto de Córdoba will be played. Rosario Central's next Liga Profesional outing is scheduled for next weekend, according to the calendar on our fixtures page.
