Peñarol draws with Danubio, but the real news was Herrera, Trindade and Jonathan Rodríguez returning

It was a draw without much shine, but it gave Diego Aguirre everything he needed to hear. Peñarol tied 1-1 with Danubio this Thursday at Jardines del Hipódromo, in the 2026 Copa AUF Uruguay, and that result was enough to keep them atop their group and through to the next round. But the scoreline, honestly, was beside the point.

What really mattered to the Aurinegro coach had a name, actually three names: Nahuel Herrera, Jesús Trindade and Jonathan Rodríguez. All three were coming back from injury and played the entire first half. That was the real test of the night, and they passed it.

"Beyond the match itself, which always matters, the real expectation was around the return of some players who could get minutes. They met the objective, the plan was for them to play 45 minutes and they did it well. Having this game really helped us," Aguirre explained after the match.

In that sense, the Copa AUF served almost as a controlled experiment. Without the pressure of a result that could affect the season, the coaching staff was able to distribute minutes and test options with a clearer head.

It was really good because it let us play a match without the pressure of the result, so we were able to manage the squadDiego Aguirre

The question mark over Herrera for Saturday

With Boston River waiting on Saturday for the Torneo Clausura, the obvious question was whether Herrera is ready to start. Aguirre left the door open, but didn't confirm anything just yet.

It's a real question. I haven't made a decision, we know how important Nahuel is for the team, but we're right up against Saturday and we're going through everything. The important thing is that we got him back, he's put the injury behind him and today we have him availableDiego Aguirre

The rest of the injury list also came up. On Mauricio Lemos, the coach said the defender's ankle is fine, though they gave him a few extra days to recover without rushing things. Eduardo Darias is a different story, still on an individualized program: if he's not ready for Saturday against Boston River, the plan is to have him available for Wednesday against Montevideo City Torque. "He's obviously a player we need a lot," Aguirre admitted.

He also explained why Ignacio Alegre and Javier Cabrera weren't in the squad against Danubio. There's no injury involved: "Both of them are fine and available, but it's something that can work as a substitution option, and since we're only 48 hours from the next match, we preferred to have them train with the rest of the squad."

Valentín Rivera's debut

Amid all the returns, there was also something brand new: Valentín Rivera, born July 3, 2007, made his first start at left back just days after signing his first professional contract with the club.

Aguirre didn't hide his satisfaction with the kid who until recently was playing in the Quinta division. "He's a kid who plays in the Quinta. But he's left-footed, and we had a need at that position, we brought him in and he did well. He's a kid with a future," the coach said.

Between injured players returning, calculated rotation and a debutant who delivered, Peñarol closed out the group stage exactly as it wanted: first in its group, and with a squad a little more complete for what's coming next.