Argentina to face River Plate in Friday friendly game

World champions Argentina will face club side River Plate in a friendly on Friday, giving coach Lionel Scaloni the chance to try out new players.

On Thursday Argentina host Panama, before a fixture against Curaçao next week. The friendly against River Plate is expected to feature only players not involved in the previous evening’s match against Panama.

Scaloni is expected to ring the changes this international break and has already heralded this period as the start of a “new process” for the national side.

“We are world champions, but that doesn’t mean we have the right for more, just because we win we can’t do whatever we want. That’s what they [the players] have to understand,” he said in a press conference this week.

“The message is that a new process is beginning, on the pitch is what is most important. From there on those who are world champions have no advantage, we will have to keep working.”

Argentine journalist Roy Nemer reports that River Plate youth player, Claudio Echeverri, has been called up to train with the national side for the first time this week. The 17-year-old midfielder is yet to make an appearance for his club but has impressed with Argentina’s youth sides.

Former City and Bayern defender will led River Plate

River Plate are currently top of their group in Argentina’s Primera Division having picked up 18 points from their first eight games. The nation’s most successful club domestically, River Plate will hope to improve on last year’s third place finish under the guidance of new head coach Martín Demichelis.

Former defender Demichelis took over last December and has impressed during his first spell in charge of a senior team. As a player he came through with River Plate before moving to Europe and starring for the likes of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City. Demichelis will hope that his players take the opportunity to test themselves against the world champions on Friday.