In fact, Ruidíaz's situation is a concern for Reynoso, not because it is a serious injury, but because it reduces the pool of forwards available for next month's matches. If the recovery time is confirmed, Ruidíaz would join Gianluca Lapadula on the list of absentees for the national team. In the best case scenario, the Peruvian forward would barely make it to the match on Thursday, 12th against Chile in Santiago; but knowing 'Cabezón', who prefers to have players in good physical condition, that option seems remote.

Reynoso has absolute confidence in Ruidíaz despite the criticism surrounding the player for his low performance in the national team. The coach has a lot of respect for him, defended his call-up for the start of the Qualifiers, and even took responsibility for the goal that Brazil scored at the end of the match in the Estadio Nacional. "The responsibility is mine," Reynoso said to the media. And beyond what happened on the field, the coach's intention is to continue counting on the 'Pulga' in the national team.

What options does Reynoso have?

But this latest setback for Ruidíaz forces Reynoso to anticipate the worst-case scenario and make decisions now regarding covering that position. In that sense, it is clear that Paolo Guerrero will continue to be the main attacking option at 39 years old; however, the problem is that the captain is not doing well at LDU de Quito either. His last goal for the Ecuadorian club was on August 3 in the Copa Sudamericana, he has gone over 45 days without scoring, and he urgently needs to end that bad streak.

What does make the national team coach somewhat calm is that the 'Depradador' is physically fit and can play the full 90 minutes of a demanding match, as he did against Paraguay and Brazil in the first double fixture of the Qualifiers. After him, the alternatives are few: Alex Valera would be the only substitution option if we consider the 'Cabezón's' last call-up. And from there, the challenge is to find more players who can meet the requirements that the coach demands to be called up.

Among the options is Santiago Ormeño, who had a history in the Ricardo Gareca era and currently plays for Juárez FC. 'Ormedeus' has played four matches this season, accumulated 130 minutes, and has scored one goal in the Liga MX. He is not a starter in his team and has not been called up by Reynoso so far, but he is a possibility to consider. The other alternative is Fabrizio Roca, a 21-year-old forward who plays for Sport Boys, who was previously pre-selected by the 'Cabezón' in his last call-up and would have a chance to make the final list. Either way, the situation looks adverse and Reynoso will have to analyze every detail to make the best decision.

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What options does Reynoso have?