Cavani, Palacios and Battaglia carrying knocks in Boca’s pre-season | OneFootball

For a while, at Boca Predio, they set aside weights, runs, and everything that an intense preseason physically entails to make room for the ball. The first formal football practice left a lot to discuss: surprises in the lineup, a new formation, and the absence of three key players. Edinson Cavani, Carlos Palacios, and Rodrigo Battaglia did not participate due to various discomforts, raising some concerns ahead of the start of the Apertura Tournament.

The absence of the Matador is the least surprising, as he has been doing some differentiated work from the rest of the group since day one due to a lumbar pain. The Uruguayan alternates the workload, and the idea is to take it easy until the debut against Deportivo Riestra (Sunday, January 25), to prevent the pain from worsening and leading to an injury, a situation he repeatedly suffered in 2025, keeping him off the field for several matches.

In any case, there is still time, and Boca's coaching staff is not in a hurry: they know Cavani is a special case, considering he is about to turn 39, and they prioritize having him in full physical condition from the start of the competition.

Palacios was also absent, another regular name from the last semester and well-regarded by Claudio Úbeda. The Chilean suffered a minor knee knock and was rested as a precaution. In this initial stage of preparation, the rule is clear: at the slightest discomfort, the intensity is reduced to avoid major setbacks.

The third on the "touched" list was Battaglia. The central midfielder, who lost his spot to Milton Delgado after returning from a soleus injury last season, is dealing with Achilles tendon discomfort and on Thursday did physiotherapy work with the medical team.

Despite the uncertainty generated by each player's physical condition—subject to daily progress—Boca conveys caution and is confident they won't lose any of them for the debut against Deportivo Riestra, as these are not serious injuries.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.