Against Colombia we must recover the points lost against Chile, says Barros Schelotto, DT of Paraguay

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Paraguay coach, assured this Sunday that his team must beat Colombia as a visitor to recover the points lost last Thursday with Chile in Asunción and keep alive the hopes of qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

“We must win, recover these three points lost at home to maintain any chance (…) of being part of the group that is going to Qatar,” explained the Argentine strategist at the press conference prior to Albirroja’s trip to Colombia for Tuesday’s match in Barranquilla for matchday 14 of the South American World Cup Qualifiers.

The Paraguayan team lost 0-1 to Chile at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción and with that result it stagnated in eighth place in the table with 12 points, four from Colombia, which occupies fifth place and provisionally obtains the quota of the region for the repechage.

The former Boca Juniors coach is confident that midfielders Julio Enciso and Matías Rojas and forward Antonio Sanabria will be available for the match in Barranquilla, who have physical problems and their ownership is not yet guaranteed.

“I estimate that they will be able to play, but the doctor asked me to wait until Monday and be able to determine the recovery at 100%,” he said.

Regarding the replacement of Jorge Morel, Lanús midfielder who misses the match due to accumulation of yellows, Barros Schelotto said that he is considering two options: Andrés Cubas or Ángel Cardozo Lucena, who against Chile met a suspension date that he had pending.

“But we are going to analyze and see why I want to put the player who is on Tuesday at 100 percent but not speculate that (someone) plays for a few minutes and have to change. I want strong players from the football point of view, the soul and that are well physically, ”added the Argentine coach.

Regarding Colombia, which Paraguay beat 1-2 in Barranquilla in the previous Qualifiers with an agonizing goal from Sanabria, Barros Schelotto believes that “they have very good players, of international level.”

However, he assured that Reinaldo Rueda’s team “is also in a situation where it has been difficult for them to win and score goals in the last matches, that they need three points as we need them.”

“But that’s not why I see an open game either, I think it’s going to be a close game, very tactical (…) We don’t know if James (Rodríguez) is going to play or not, if (Juan Guillermo) Cuadrado is going to play as a defender. as he did in some previous games, but I think we are going to find a difficult game, “he said. (D)