Úbeda in must-win clash as Paredes misses out against Racing | OneFootball

What began as a concern on Sunday at La Bombonera was confirmed after the first practices of the week: Leandro Paredes will not be fit for Friday’s match. The Xeneize captain, who had to leave the field against Platense after admitting with a telling “I can’t step,” will be rested to prevent his right ankle injury from getting worse.

The central midfielder had been dealing with physical discomfort throughout the five rounds of the Apertura, which led to a visible drop in his performance. After the match against “El Calamar,” the World Cup winner himself acknowledged his situation: “I’ve been carrying a discomfort, it’s part of this, it’s part of football. Every time I get to play, I’ll try to do my best.” However, after playing with an injection and leaving the field with ice, the diagnosis of a sprain forces the coaching staff to give him the rest his body is demanding.

The outlook for Úbeda: a heavy absence

Paredes’ absence comes at the worst possible time for the coach. With his job on the line, Claudio Úbeda knows that the clásico in Avellaneda is crucial. “We have to beat Racing,” declared the coach, who will now have to rebuild the core of his team without his main reference and football leader.

As for his replacement, all signs point to Milton Delgado. The young player, who already came on for the captain last Sunday, has the support of the fans and is a positional “number 5” who fits the system. Unless there are surprises, Delgado would share the midfield with Santiago Ascacíbar and Williams Alarcón, although the option of Tomás Belmonte is not ruled out—a player the coach is very fond of for these tough situations.

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