Right-back Gonzalo Montiel, hero of the penalty that gave Argentina the world title in 2022, suffered a left quadriceps strain during River Plate's 1-0 victory over Rosario Central on Saturday in the Torneo Apertura semifinals. The injury was confirmed on Monday by sources at the millonario club.
Montiel, 29, was substituted at halftime by Fabricio Bustos after missing a penalty when the game was still 0-0. The early exit raised alarm both at River, which is preparing for the final against Belgrano de Córdoba next Sunday, and in the Argentine national team, where the player had been an important piece in Lionel Scaloni's rotation.
Scaloni has not yet released the final 26-man squad for the World Cup, which starts on June 11, but Montiel was considered the second right-back, behind Nahuel Molina. The injury, however, could compromise his presence. Since returning to River at the start of 2025, the player has had good performances but also accumulated injuries that reduced his minutes with the albiceleste shirt over the last year and a half.
In the position, Scaloni's alternatives are scarce. Besides Molina and Montiel, the only natural right-back on the 55-player preliminary list released last week is Agustín Giay of Palmeiras. Also included are Nicolás Capaldo of Hamburg and Kevin Mac Allister of Union Saint Gilloise, who have played in the role for their clubs.
Argentina is in Group J of the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and debuts on June 16 against Algeria. They then face Austria (June 22) and Jordan (June 27).
In addition to Montiel, River also lost midfielder Aníbal Moreno and center forward Sebastián Driussi for the final, both with right knee sprains that should require about a month of recovery. Driussi is the team's top scorer this year with seven goals. Moreno, who is on the 55-man preliminary list for the World Cup, has few chances of making the final squad.
Before the decisive match against Belgrano, River hosts Bragantino on Wednesday in the fifth round of Copa Sudamericana Group H and ends the tournament's initial phase on May 27 against Blooming of Bolivia.