Tigres UANL use ‘ringers’ to make up the numbers ahead of tonight’s Copa Libertadores tie in Peru

Mexican team Tigres UANL have travelled to Peru for tonight’s Copa Libertadores tie with Juan Aurich with only 16 youth players, being forced to use assistant coaches and physios to make up the numbers in training as a result.

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Next weekend they play Monterrey in the Mexican Clasico, and after already qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Copa Libertadores the manager decided to leave the first team in Mexico. It means they will have only five subs on the bench, two less than the maximum allowed.

Tigres decision of only travelling with 16 players has infuriated River Plate. Marcelo Gallardo’s team have not won a match in this tournament and need Tigres to beat second placed Juan Aurich to give them any chance of progressing.

Tigres have already won the group with 11 points from five games. Below them it is very tight – Juan Aurich have six and River Plate and San Jose have four points each. River play Bolivian side San Jose in Buenos Aires.