Catolica to host Estudiantes without Zampedri after fifth yellow in Libertadores return leg

The 1-1 draw in La Plata left Universidad Catolica with the series wide open, but it also left the club with a couple of headaches heading into the return leg. Next Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., the Cruzados will host Estudiantes at Claro Arena needing a result to reach the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, and they will have to do it without their captain.

Fernando Zampedri, the club's all time leading scorer and the undisputed focal point of the attack, will not be available for the decisive match. The forward picked up his fifth yellow card of the competition in the first leg and will sit out through accumulation, a loss that carries real weight for a team that needs goals to advance. The same punishment fell on Cristian Cuevas, who will also be unavailable for the second leg.

Losing Zampedri for a match of this magnitude is no small thing. The Argentine forward has become the man for big moments at San Carlos de Apoquindo in recent years, and his absence forces the coaching staff to rethink the attack right when goals are needed most.

The good news: Montes nearing his return

Amid that difficult outlook, there is a ray of hope for the Cruzados. According to a report from La Tercera, there is optimism within Universidad Catolica about a possible return for Clemente Montes for the second leg. The winger has been out for several weeks after undergoing surgery for a small fracture in his right foot, an injury that sidelined him at a key point of the season.

Per that report, Montes has been training normally in recent days and his recovery has gone better than expected. Sources close to the club expressed confidence that he could be available for the match against the Argentines.

He's almost ready now, he should be back for the return leg.Source cited by La Tercera from Universidad Catolica

His possible return comes at just the right time. With Zampedri out due to suspension, Catolica will need fresh attacking options to keep pace with an Estudiantes side that knows how to compete both home and away, and one that will also carry the confidence of the 1-1 result earned on its own turf.

The series stands exactly as it did before it began: everything still to be decided. But the pieces available to each side have changed, and Universidad Catolica knows that getting a player like Montes back, with his flair and speed on the wings, could help offset the absence of its top scorer. On Tuesday, at Claro Arena, we will find out who moves on in the Libertadores.