Rodolfo Arruabarrena confirms Boca's absentees for Racing clash | OneFootball

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s Boca continues to show signs of improvement and earned a huge win in Paraguay: a 4-0 victory over Recoleta in the second leg of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana round of 16. With a 7-1 aggregate score, the Xeneize advanced and now awaits the winner of the clash between São Paulo and Bolívar to find out its next opponent.

The Vasco spoke at a press conference and was quickly asked about the blue-and-gold side’s next match: they will visit Racing at the Cilindro de Avellaneda in the 2026 Torneo Clausura. It will be a key match with both the group standings and the overall table in mind, with the title race and qualification for international cups also at stake.

Asked about Boca’s captain being available against La Academia, Arruabarrena didn’t beat around the bush and confirmed: “Leandro (Paredes) won’t be ready for Racing, just like Lozano and Marco Pellegrino.” Along the same lines, he said that “we’ll start thinking about the opponent tomorrow” and added: “today we have to try to enjoy the trip, get to the hotel and rest.”

That means the Vasco will be without two starters and a player who rotates quite a bit with Ayrton Costa at left center-back for the clásico. Now, the goal for those three will be to try to recover in time for the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal matchup and rejoin the team as soon as possible for the local tournament fixtures.

Arruabarrena takes note: the referee vs. Racing

The Vasco’s team will visit Racing this Sunday, August 23, starting at 9:30 p.m., at the Cilindro de Avellaneda. The AFA confirmed that Nicolás Ramírez will be the referee in charge of officiating the clásico against La Academia, and his most recent history in this matchup favors the opponent: a 2-1 win for the sky-blue-and-white side at home in the 2023 Copa de la Liga and a 1-1 draw at La Bombonera in the 2025 Torneo Clausura.

Boca won in Paraguay and is already thinking about Racing. Photo: Christian Alvarenga/Getty Image.

The referee will be joined on the field by Gabriel Chade (assistant referee 1), Erik Grunmann (assistant referee 2) and Pablo Giménez (fourth official), while Fernando Echenique (VAR) and Diego Verlotta (AVAR) will be on VAR duty.

Keep reading:

When Boca will play vs. São Paulo in the Sudamericana quarterfinals

Boca already knows its opponent for the 2026 Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals

Boca’s player ratings in the rout over Recoleta to reach the quarterfinals

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