From outcasts to call-ups: Janson, Weigandt surprise for Boca debut | OneFootball

Awaiting the arrival of Ángel Romero as their first reinforcement, Boca Juniors is preparing for their debut in the Torneo Apertura, facing Deportivo Riestra at La Bombonera in the opening match of Group A.

For this match, coach Claudio Úbeda has announced a list of 25 called-up players, which features two major surprises. Players who were initially not going to be considered have changed their situation and now have a chance to get some minutes on the field. The main reason is that Úbeda does not have his full squad available, as the three main center forwards — Miguel Merentiel, Edinson Cavani, and Milton Giménez — are injured, and the team is still waiting for more reinforcements to arrive.

One of the standout cases is Lucas Janson. At the beginning of the year, the forward was told he should look for another club, but the absence of the starting ‘number 9s’ reversed his situation. So much so that Janson played more than 75 minutes as a center forward in the friendly against Olimpia, and all indications are that he will start in that position against Deportivo Riestra, forming the attacking trio with Alan Velasco and Exequiel Zeballos on the wings. The forward, who arrived in mid-2023, will have a crucial opportunity at the start of the 2026 season to establish himself as a regular option and fight for the striker position.

The other surprise is Marcelo Weigandt. ‘Chelo’ returned to the club after a two-year stint at Inter Miami and, although he initially joined the group of expendable players, Úbeda decided to include him in the main squad in recent days. With Juan Barinaga and Blondel as alternatives at right back, the homegrown player has been called up and is competing head-to-head with the former Tigre player for a spot as the first backup in that position. It is worth mentioning that he arrives without any official match fitness.

Thus, Boca’s possible lineup against Deportivo Riestra would include: Agustín Marchesín; Juan Barinaga, Lautaro Di Lollo, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco; Tomás Belmonte, Leandro Paredes, Ander Herrera; Exequiel Zeballos, Lucas Janson, and Alan Velasco. In summary, Úbeda has called up 25 players for the debut, with Lucas Janson as the starting number 9 due to injuries and the return of Marcelo Weigandt to an official squad list.

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