Boca forced into a change against Instituto | OneFootball

The coach of Boca, Claudio Úbeda, received very bad news at the start of the training week. Looking ahead to this Sunday’s match against Instituto at La Bombonera, for the twelfth round of the Torneo Apertura, the team will lose a key player. Santiago Ascacíbar suffered a muscle strain in his left hamstring and has been ruled out for the weekend.

The midfielder’s absence forces the coaching staff to rebuild a key area of the field. Sifón didn’t hesitate much during the previous match, and that quick decision sets the path for Sunday. Ander Herrera is the main candidate to take the vacant spot and partner with Leandro Paredes in midfield.

The Spanish player was the coach’s first option when Ascacíbar couldn’t bear the pain and asked to be substituted in the second half against Unión. His inclusion from the start will mean a less combative but much more possession-oriented style. Úbeda’s lineup would be completed with the presence of Milton Delgado and Tomás Aranda to help with ball circulation.

Úbeda will have to make a forced change.

Despite the frustration of losing an undisputed starter, the coach finds some relief when looking at the season’s calendar. Once the match against the team from Córdoba in La Boca is over, the tournament will pause due to the FIFA break. This temporary stop in the schedule will be vital so that the injured midfielder doesn’t miss too many games.

The intention of the medical staff at the club from La Ribera is for the injury to heal completely by the first weekend of April. Xeneize will have to play against Talleres and they are aiming for him to return directly for that match. Otherwise, the midfield won’t undergo further changes and will wait until the following clásico against Independiente.

Boca’s schedule up to the Superclásico

The team from La Ribera has to face La Gloria this weekend and then will have the following weekend off from official competition due to the FIFA break. The return to activity after the break will be the weekend of April 5: they will visit Talleres in Córdoba.

Boca has a tight schedule.

After the match against “la T”, Xeneize will have its first group stage match of the Copa Libertadores, scheduled to be played midweek on Wednesday, April 8. Afterwards, on the weekend of the 12th, they will host Independiente and in between will have the second round of the continental competition, while the following weekend they will have to visit River at the Monumental.

Keep reading:

Santiago Ascacibar’s injury confirmed and he will not play against Instituto

Sebastián Battaglia will support Riquelme’s opposition in the upcoming Boca elections

Santiago Ascacibar set off alarm bells at Boca

“We could have won it”: Claudio Úbeda lamented another Boca draw

Boca’s ratings in the draw against Unión de Santa Fe

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