When the 2-0 defeat of César Vallejo University at the hands of Sport Boys took place a week ago, the spotlight continued to be on Paolo Guerrero. It was no wonder: he did not complete the match, he was replaced at 78' by Osnar Noronha and hours later he traveled to Brazil with an obvious limp, the result of a strong blow after a foul by Juan 'Chengue' Morales. From then on the ghosts of his physical problems appeared and his presence in the Peruvian National Team remained unknown. However, as seen throughout these days at the National Sports Village (Videna), the 'Predator' is intact and Jorge Fossati is counting on him to face the challenges. friendly against Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Last Thursday, doubts began to be cleared up about the state of the national forward, since upon arriving in the capital from Brazilian lands – along with his partner and children – he did not show any discomfort that he had days ago in Callao, from where he had to leave with ice on your left foot to avoid possible inflammation of your ankle. With this panorama, that same day he moved to San Luis and made himself available to Fossati, reuniting with his teammates in the 'Bicolor' who play in League 1 Betsson, in addition to Alexander Callens and Bryan Reyna.
It is no secret to anyone that, at 40 years old, any sign of pain in Paolo Guerrero It generates concern and the alarms automatically go off. The truth is that what he experienced against Sport Boys is already part of the past and during this work at La Videna he has looked good, with great enthusiasm to return to the 'Blanquirroja' and with his sights set on the preparation duels against the Central American teams. Although on paper Gianluca Lapadula has the tickets to be a starter, his presence remains key for the team.
Thus, less than a week before the first friendly against Nicaragua, César Vallejo's footballer took the floor and left a message to the unconditional fans of the 'Bicolor', also giving an important assessment to this FIFA date thinking about the challenges they will have in the Copa América and in the 2026 Qualifiers. “It is always a nice opportunity to meet again with the people who support the National Team. It is going to be a very important match for us, especially preparing us for what is coming in the Copa América and the Qualifiers.“, he said in a video published on the 'Sele' social networks.
Let us remember that Jorge Fossati He didn't leave anything to chance and since the possibility of Paolo playing in League 1 Te Apuesta arose, he followed up with him to find out his present and if he could count on him in March. “I was communicating with those players who had a problem, whether physical or who did not have equipment. He did that with footballers from the local league and abroad. One of them was Paolo. Then the dialogue continued, because of everything he experienced prior to his arrival in the country.“said the Uruguayan on Monday at a press conference.
The 'Flaco' knows about the virtues of the 'Predator' and how useful he can be throughout this process that has just begun, due to his experience, hierarchy and the respect he generates in his rivals.”I don't know him personally, but from what I perceive and see him play – even before seeing him and now in the league – he is a very competitive guy and I hope he continues his evolution, as he continues to do in César Vallejo, so that I can count on him in the approach. It seems to me that naming Paolo speaks for itself and I don't have to detail all his virtues.”he added.
We'll see how it fits together. Paolo Guerrero to Fossati's 3-5-2, whether coming off the bench or starting. Beyond that Gianluca Lapadula Whether he is the starter – due to age and presence with Cagliari in Serie A – the attacker trained in Alianza Lima has specific characteristics that can be important in the functioning of the Peruvian National Team. Of course, it remains to know who the second striker would be, with the main alternatives being Bryan Reyna, Edison Flores either Jose Rivera.
What's coming up for the Peruvian National Team?
After knowing the first list of Jorge Fossati's squad last Monday, the Peruvian National Team began working at Videna with a view to the friendly matches against Nicaragua and Dominican Republic, agreed for Friday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 26, respectively. The first of them will be played at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, while the second at the Monumental; both from 8:30 pm and with the broadcast of América TV and Movistar Deportes.
It must be taken into account that the 'Blanquirroja' will also have two more preparation duels in June, prior to their participation in the Copa América 2024, to be held in the United States from the 20th of that month until July 14. The national team was placed in Group A along with Argentina, Chile and the fifth representatives of Concacaf, who will come from the winner of the match between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.
Follow the Depor channel on WhatsAppwhere you will find all the keys to the sport of the day.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU
- Malmö to the final! Peña will compete for the Swedish Cup title after beating Halmstad
- With Lapadula as starter: Cagliari lost 1-0 against Monza and continues fighting to avoid relegation
- After falling to Atl. Grau: serious complaint from Los Chankas for possible match-fixing in League 1
- Without Tapia, Yotún and Aquino: who should earn a place in Fossati's midfield?
RECOMMENDED VIDEO