Estudiantes de La Plata manager Alexander Medina will finalize his squad today before the team trains this morning at the Country Club de City Bell and departs by bus this afternoon for Santiago del Estero, where they face Central Córdoba on Saturday, October 10, in the 12th round of the 2026 Torneo Clausura.
Entering the weekend, Estudiantes sits on 13 points in the domestic standings following a 3–0 win against Gimnasia de Mendoza, putting the squad near the playoff positions, while Central Córdoba suma 9 points in the table of positions coming off a 1–1 draw against Deportivo Riestra. The fixture will be officiated by referee Andrés Gariano, with the squad booked to stay at the Hotel Las Marías in La Banda upon arrival in the northern province.
Medina Rests Starters Before Copa Libertadores Semifinal
With a crucial Copa Libertadores semifinal match against Flamengo looming on Thursday, manager Alexander Medina intends to rest several key starters for the domestic fixture while balancing the team’s playoff ambitions.
Defensively, Leandro González Pirez and Tomás Palacios return to the matchday squad after serving suspensions for accumulated yellow cards during the first leg against Flamengo. Meanwhile, midfielder Ezequiel Piovi is being managed after taking a knock, which could clear the path for Bautista Kociubinski to earn a place in the starting lineup following strong performances in recent appearances.
Securing Match Fitness for Returning Key Players
The trip to Santiago del Estero also serves as a testing ground for players working back to full match sharpness ahead of the continental fixture. Tiago Palacios has completed his recovery from injury and is a strong candidate to start in the midfield. Attacking playmaker Joaquín Correa is also traveling with the squad and could feature as a substitute during the second half to regain competitive rhythm.
Unlike their previous visit to the region two weeks ago, meteorological forecasts predict normal weather conditions with temperatures hovering just above 20 degrees Celsius at kickoff. Following Saturday’s match, Estudiantes will immediately shift focus back to preparations for Thursday’s decisive continental clash against Flamengo at UNO.
Central Córdoba Faces Estudiantes on October 10
The match between Central Córdoba (SE) and Estudiantes will be played on Saturday, October 10, starting at 17:00 at the estadio Alfredo Terrera. The live encounter will be televised on TNT Sports Premium and can be viewed online by contracting the Pack Fútbol of Flow, Telecentro Play, and DGO, while following the minute-by-minute coverage, statistics, and video goals on canchallena.com. The 2026 First Division championship is divided into the Apertura and Clausura tournaments across two groups of 15 teams each in a round-robin format plus an interzonal fixture per round, with the top eight teams in each group advancing to single-elimination playoffs. Argentina allocates six spots for the 2027 Copa Libertadores—awarded to the Apertura champion, Clausura champion, Copa Argentina champion, and the top three non-champion teams in the annual general table considering solely group-stage points—alongside six Copa Sudamericana spots allocated to the best-ranked teams in that same general table following the Libertadores qualifiers.
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