Aranda, Flores and Gelini: Boca’s three promoted youngsters | OneFootball

The long list of injured forwards in Boca's current squad forced Claudio Úbeda to turn to the youth players. Therefore, for the match against Estudiantes, the coach will call up Leonel Flores, Tomás Aranda, and Gonzalo Gelini, three great promises from the Reserve who have yet to debut in the First Division. Joining them is Íker Zufiaurre, who recently gained minutes in the debut against Riestra.

Without Edinson Cavani, Miguel Merentiel, Milton Giménez, and Alan Velasco, who recently injured his left knee, the "Sifón" had to rely on Lucas Janson as the center forward in the first official match of the year and the young Zufiaurre as his alternative. With the absence of the former Independiente player, he has now added three of Boca Predio's most prized jewels to the squad list. At first glance, one of them might be left out of the bench. Below, a brief preview of what each can bring.

Gonzalo Gelini The fast 19-year-old left winger was one of the key pieces of the team led by Mariano Herrón at the end of 2025, with decisive interventions in winning the Clausura Projection Cup, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 20 matches.

With power, the ability to break through, and a natural affinity for scoring, Gelini is another product of Boca Predio stepping up to put out a fire. Although he would initially be a substitute against the Pincha, he is a natural option for the right-wing position, which currently has no owner. On the left, however, he competes with Exequiel Zeballos, the most unbalancing player on the team.

“I rely more on speed, on taking on defenders. I'm an attacker who goes directly to the goal. A forward always has to look for the goal. And if not, an assist to a teammate,” recently defined the forward who can play as a winger on both the right and left sides.

Tomás Aranda An 18-year-old playmaker, he enjoys exquisite technique, the kind that is scarce in current football. He debuted in the Reserve at the end of 2024 but solidified his position in 2025. He played as a link in the classic 4-3-1-2 formation that Boca uses in its youth teams and was one of the team's standout figures of the year, with great performances in the Clausura Projection final against Gimnasia and in the Champions Trophy against Vélez.

Besides scoring four goals and providing four assists, the native of Ciudadela stands out for his ability to drive at speed and his knack for getting past opponents. Additionally, he is right-footed but has excellent control with both feet. With Alan Velasco and Carlos Palacios ahead of him, it will be difficult for him to secure a spot, but the experience with the professionals will undoubtedly help him continue on this upward path. In May of this year, Boca secured him with a contract until December 2029.

Leonel Flores The young player from Béccar had a great start to 2025 in the team led by Mariano Herrón. He scored eight goals in the Apertura and was, along with Valentino Simoni, one of the team's top scorers during the first half of the year.

However, his level dropped in the second half of the year to the point where he lost his starting position. He returned to action in the playoffs, where he responded excellently: he scored the winning goal against Lanús in the round of 16 and netted the 2-1 lead against Gimnasia in extra time of the final. In total, he accumulated 10 goals and one assist in 33 matches.

He can play in all three attacking positions and can even operate behind the two forwards. This versatility provided many solutions to Mariano Herrón throughout the year and could be useful to Claudio Úbeda during, at least, the preseason.

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