Iván Román makes Colo Colo squad list, could debut Sunday against O'Higgins

Colo Colo's squad lists don't usually leave much room for surprise, but this time there were two names everyone wanted to check first. As is customary the day before each match, the club posted its list of called-up players on social media ahead of hosting O'Higgins in matchday 19 of the Liga de Primera, and all eyes were on whether Fernando Ortiz would have goalkeeper Vozinha and newly arrived defender Iván Román available.

The answer came back split. Vozinha, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper, still isn't ready to join the squad and will need to keep building up physically before competing for a spot between the posts. In the meantime, the starting job will remain with academy product Gabriel Maureira, who has held down that role in recent matches.

The other story had a happier ending. Román, the Cacique's most recent signing, got the green light from Ortiz and was included in the squad, just days after resettling in Chile. The defender arrives on loan from Atlético Mineiro, the Brazilian club where he couldn't lock down a regular role, and he's now looking to relaunch his career in the white jersey.

This isn't just any return for the center back. Before his stint in the Brasileirao, Román had already played in Chilean soccer with Palestino, a club where he earned a regular starting spot in defense and where his move to Brazil first took shape. That background suggests his adjustment to the Monumental and to the demands of fighting for the title should come more naturally to him than it would to a debutant with no local experience.

With his inclusion in the squad confirmed, it remains to be seen whether Ortiz will hand him minutes right away this Sunday or manage him carefully while he builds up match fitness. What's clear is that his debut in the Colo Colo jersey could come this weekend, when the team hosts O'Higgins at Estadio Monumental starting at 5:30 p.m.

This match means more than usual for the Albos. A win would let them keep Universidad de Chile, their closest pursuer in the standings, at arm's length at a stage of the tournament where every point starts to carry extra weight. So Román's possible appearance adds to a weekend where Colo Colo needs three points just as much as it needs to shore up a defense that hopes to find in the Chilean an immediate solution.