River will receive Argentinos Juniors this Sunday with great expectation for the possible debut of Thiago Almada. The Guayo, new reinforcement of the Millonario in this transfer market, could enter the starting lineup after Eduardo Coudet tested him in Thursday's training along with those who would start in the Estadio Monumental for the fifth date of the Clausura 2026 tournament.
According to different reports, the 2022 World Champion would enter in place of Tomás Galván. This was the only change made by the Chacho in the recent practice session, so the chances of the 25-year-old forward making his debut with the Sacred Mantle from the start of the match against the Bicho are increasing.
Almada has only had a few training sessions with his new teammates after arriving in the country last Monday from Madrid after playing for a season in Atlético. Before Argentinos, he could play again after more than a month without doing so officially: the last time he did was in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup against Switzerland last July 11.
River broke the market with the signing of the Vélez-born player. They paid nothing less than 20 million euros for the 100% of the transfer, in an operation that included a repurchase clause in favor of the Colchonero for 40 million euros that can be executed in December 2027.
The probable lineup of River against Argentinos Juniors
The entry of Almada in place of Galván was the only change made by Coudet in Thursday's football practice with respect to the eleven who played last Saturday against Tigre. There are two training sessions left in which Coudet could test new variants taking into account the possibility of managing loads thinking about the match against Independiente Santa Fe to be played in Bogotá on Wednesday 19.
When is the next match of River against Argentinos Juniors and how to watch it?
The match between River and Argentinos Juniors, corresponding to the fifth date of the Clausura 2026, will take place this Sunday, August 16, at 6:00 PM in the Monumental. The match will be broadcast by ESPN Premium, signal of the football pack. It will also be possible to follow it through the YouTube channel of La Página Millonaria and the minute-by-minute on the web.
