Peñarol draws with Atenas in Copa AUF Uruguay, but Aguirre's mind is on Danubio and the injury list

A 2-2 draw that feels like both too little and too much at once. Too little because Peñarol couldn't put away Atenas de San Carlos in the Copa AUF Uruguay, a lower-division opponent the black and gold side should have handled without any trouble. And too much because, for Diego Aguirre, the result was never the priority that night.

The coach didn't dance around it after the match. He made clear that the squad's focus, and probably his own, was elsewhere. Not on the scoreboard, but on getting some rhythm into players who haven't been seeing much time on the field lately.

These are special games because your mind is somewhere else. We take care of business in these matches, but mainly to give some rhythm to the guys with fewer minutes. Later on, as things progress, it'll matter more.Diego Aguirre

It's a reading that makes sense when you look at Peñarol's schedule these days: the Copa AUF Uruguay is working, for now, as a testing ground before the competition starts to carry real weight in the rounds ahead.

Concern in the treatment room

The match, however, left a bill that matters to Aguirre a lot more than the final score. Maximiliano Laxalt, Facundo Batista and Leonardo Fernández Angulo all had to leave the field with various physical issues, and the coach preferred not to venture any diagnosis until the medical exams come back.

We had a couple of injuries, but now we have to wait and see how they are. On Saturday we have a very important game and we need to keep our heads on that.Diego Aguirre

That "very important" game is against Danubio, for matchday five of the Torneo Clausura, this coming Saturday. That's the one where Peñarol truly needs to win, and needs to do it with as full a squad as possible, so the medical staff's work over the next few hours will be key to knowing which names Aguirre will have available.

Asked also about the possibility that game could be played without fans, something being considered because of the disciplinary situation the club is going through, the coach didn't make much of it.

I don't know, I don't have any information and it's not up to us. It's not an issue, if we have to play without fans, we'll do it without any problem.Diego Aguirre

With the draw against Atenas, Peñarol moved forward in the Copa AUF Uruguay, but Aguirre's message was clear: the focus is already on Danubio. The cup will carry more weight as the rounds go on, as the coach himself acknowledged, but for now the Clausura comes first.