Portsmouth favourite set for shock emergence as big early World Cup story
The loanee who arrived from Santos in January is the big World Cup story in Paraguay, as they face USA at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
Gustavo Caballero is poised for a ‘surprise’ opportunity to make his mark at the World Cup.
The Pompey winger is being earmarked for an opening start in the early hours of tomorrow morning on the greatest stage in football, as Paraguay take on the USA in Los Angeles.
Caballero in line to start against USA at World Cup for Paraguay
Caballero looks to have been presented with a potential huge opportunity to make a mark, with La Albirroja star man Julio Enciso ruled out of his country’s opener.
Enciso suffered a muscle injury in his country’s final warm-up win over Nicaragua last weekend, with the former Brighton man left punching the turn in frustration in Asuncion.
Now coach Gustavo Alfaro looks set to turn to the man who spent the second half of the season on loan at Fratton Park to fill the void created by Enciso’s absence.
Caballero was added to the first team’s attack in their final training ahead of the US clash, operating on the left flank - a ‘surprise’ move according to media outlets in his country.
That’s now the big talking point in Paraguay ahead of the game, as the 25-year-old’s hurtling international emergence continues.
Caballero and Palmeiras wide man Mauricio are being seen as the main considerations to replace Encsio.
Alfaro acknowledged the pacy and direct Pompey loanee and his team-mate offer varying attributes going into the game which kicks off at 2am tomorrow morning.
He said: ‘I see Mauricio and Gustavo Caballero doing well, but they have different characteristics.’
Caballero’s international breakthrough in his home country has captured the imagination of the Paraguayan people, with his joy evident at making it to the World Cup.
Now there’s potential leeway for the Santos man to see his standing soar on the big stage.
Speaking to Unicanal after his country’s win over Nicaragua last week, Caballero said: ‘It all started by looking for opportunity and continuity outside of what Santos was.
‘I went in search of that, but being honest I went to get continuity - well, thank god, that led me to being part of the list of 26 players. I'm really very happy about that.
‘I'm not coming down yet, that's the truth I'm not falling yet!
‘Once we set foot there in the United States, we are going to measure everything that this is because it is something very big.
‘So I think that once we are there we will see the size of everything.’