Terrible news for Boca: Miguel Merentiel ruled out for the Apertura opener | OneFootball

The Beast left the field against Olimpia due to discomfort in his calf, and tests confirmed a muscle injury. Janson is expected to be the number 9 for the first match.

The early exit of Miguel Merentiel set off all the alarms at Boca. Just over ten minutes into the friendly against Olimpia, the striker asked to be substituted and left an image that worried the coaching staff. After the match, Claudio Úbeda did not hide his concern, and the situation was confirmed at the start of the week: the Uruguayan underwent tests, and the results revealed a calf tear. As a result, at the very least, he will miss the debut in the Torneo Apertura.

The scene was telling: Merentiel looked over to the bench, made the gesture, and requested the substitution. Lucas Janson came on immediately, while the striker sat among the substitutes with ice on the affected area—a sign that heightened concern throughout the Boca community.

Although the official medical report will be released in the coming hours, the bad news about the injury has already leaked, and the club is already working under the assumption that the Beast will not be available for the opener. He will likely miss several more matches (Estudiantes, Newell’s, Vélez, and Platense), although it will depend on his recovery.

“Of course it worries and concerns us. Regarding Miguel: he had a slight discomfort from a knock, and apparently that’s where he felt the pain. Let’s wait for the tests tomorrow and hope it’s nothing serious. It’s a position where we’re getting center forwards back, and we need everyone,” Úbeda explained in a press conference.

Janson, the alternative emerging for Boca’s debut

Boca will make their debut next Sunday against Deportivo Riestra at La Bombonera, and the attacking outlook is complicated. Merentiel, the only available center forward until his injury, won’t be fit in time, while Edinson Cavani (lower back pain) and Milton Giménez (groin pain) are still being treated with caution.

In this context, Lucas Janson emerges as the improvised option to play as number 9. The former Vélez player came on at the 15th minute of the first half against Peñarol and delivered a good performance: he had two clear headers, one saved by the goalkeeper and another that hit the crossbar. It was also his return to the pitch after nearly four months without playing minutes in the blue and gold shirt.

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