Arruabarrena welcomed back two key players: Battaglia and Costa trained | OneFootball

Rodolfo Arruabarrena received excellent news in the latest training session as he got key pieces back for putting his squad together. On the eve of the clásico against San Lorenzo for the tenth round of the Torneo Clausura, the Boca manager oversaw a formal practice match in which two key players got minutes again.

The Ribera club’s injury list is starting to clear up at the most demanding and decisive stage of the schedule. During the latest training session at the Ezeiza complex, the coaching staff set up an intense tactical drill against a team made up of youth players. The big news from the morning was the inclusion of Ayrton Costa, who trained alongside his teammates after several weeks of complete inactivity.

The defender had been dealing with a hamstring tear along with nagging pubalgia since late August. That issue had forced him off the field early during the draw against Racing, making him miss crucial matches for the blue-and-gold club.

Rodrigo Battaglia and Ayrton Costa.

Added to this medical clearance is the long-awaited return of Rodrigo Battaglia, who had already gradually rejoined the squad last week. The midfielder underwent surgery on February 3 for chronic insertional tendinopathy in his right Achilles tendon, an injury that kept him from playing any minutes all season. While the holding midfielder still needs to go through a logical period of physical reconditioning, his presence with the ball marks a tremendous step in his recovery.

The lineup Arruabarrena tested

During this formal football practice, the coaching staff lined up Leandro Brey between the posts, a clear sign regarding Boca’s goalkeeping situation. With Álvaro Montero close to traveling with his national team, the young keeper is shaping up to start in the match against Racing in the Copa Argentina. The defense in this alternative lineup was made up of Leandro Lozano, Lautaro Di Lollo, Marco Pellegrino, and Malcom Braida.

In midfield, Santiago Ascacibar and Milton Delgado partnered the returning Battaglia to provide balance in defensive transitions and build-up play. Up front, the attacking trio consisted of Sebastián Villa, Enner Valencia, and Leonel Flores.

El Vasco would repeat the team he fielded against São Paulo. Photo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images.

Despite the extensive tests carried out with these players looking to gain match rhythm, the coaching staff’s stance for Sunday’s clásico seems to be settled. If all the usual starters are in optimal physical condition, the main idea is to repeat the same lineup that secured qualification in São Paulo.

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