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River's injury problems mount before Caracas game
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 5 (Reuters) - River Plate coach Daniel Passarella could find himself with only two available forwards for their Libertadores Cup tie at home to Caracas FC because of mounting injury worries.
The two sides both won their opening outings and will be battling for the Group Six leadership at the River Plate stadium on Thursday.
Colombian forward Radamel Falcao Garcia, sent off in the 2-1 win away to Colo Colo, is suspended while his strike partner Ernesto Farias is doubtful with a back injury.
Striker Mauro Rosales, signed from Ajax Amsterdam, is expected to join the club on Wednesday but is unlikely to be ready for the match while Ariel Ortega was due to resume training on Monday after a two-month absence for personal reasons.
That could leave only Marco Ruben and 17-year-old Andres Rios, who made his debut in the 2-1 defeat by Argentinos Juniors on Sunday, available to play in attack.
Caracas, whose team includes several Venezuelan internationals and a Colombian strikeforce of Wilson Carpintero and Ivan Velasquez, began with a 1-0 win over Ecuador's LDU and have no injury or suspension worries.
LDU host Colo Colo in Quito on Wednesday as the two sides attempt to pick up their first points.
FLYING VISIT
Paraguayan champions Libertad will make a flying visit to Quito to face Ecuadorean army side El Nacional as they attempt to capitalise on their excellent start in Group One.
Libertad, semi-finalists last year, have six points from their opening two games after their 4-1 win away to Mexico's America last Thursday.
El Nacional, on the other hand, lost by the same score in Argentina against Banfield last week and were also beaten at home by America in their first game.
Libertad will stay in Guayaquil at sea level on the eve of Tuesday's match, flying into high altitude Quito hours before kick off. They will then fly out again immediately after the final whistle.
America have a chance to bounce back from the Libertad defeat when they host Banfield on Wednesday at the Azteca stadium, although Sunday's 1-0 league defeat to Pachuca will not have done their confidence any good.
"The team is united. We're still okay in the (Mexican) standings and we will qualify in the Libertadores, so I don't consider this to be a crisis," said vice-president Pedro Portillo.
Argentina's Gimnasia-La Plata and Colombia's Deportivo Pasto will also be playing for their first points when they meet in Group Eight on Tuesday.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/break...459071,00.html