Juan Roman Riquelme will return to Boca Juniors this weekend after a six-month absence following surgery on his left knee.
The famous Buenos Aires club faces Argentinos Juniors on Saturday. Boca has only 17 points in 12 matches and has struggled without Riquelme, regarded by some as the most creative midfielder in Argentine football.
Riquelme's return comes as coach Claudio Borghi is being mentioned as a candidate to succeed Marcelo Bielsa - also an Argentine - as the national team coach in Chile.
''He is different from anybody else,'' Borghi said of Riquelme. ''He can help us with some things, but it would be unfair to ask him to fix everything.''
Saturday's match will be a warmup for Riquelme, giving him 10 days to get ready for the Nov. 16 showdown against River Plate. It's also a chance to impress new Argentina coach Sergio Batista, who has said he would like Riquelme to return to the national side.
Riquelme was largely overlooked under the 21-month reign of Diego Maradona.
''I love him as a player,'' Batista said. ''He brings a lot. He has experience, technical ability, talent and character.''
Despite the return of Riquelme, Borghi is suddenly facing distractions with his name being mentioned in a move to Chile, where he was a popular coach with Colo Colo.
''I'm the coach of Boca until the results or the club directors say differently,'' Borghi said. ''I hope I am here for a long time.
''I'm proud to be mentioned as a replacement for Bielsa,'' he added. ''If someone shows an official interest, I will speak with them out of courtesy. But I think it will be difficult for anything to happen.''
The election Thursday of Spanish businessman Jorge Segovia as the new president of the country's football federation triggered Bielsa's resignation. He had supported incumbent Harold Mayne-Nicholls, who hired him.
