Boca won't use Marchesín's injury slot to sign a keeper | OneFootball

Agustín Marchesín’s injury was the big bad news Boca suffered this Tuesday in the 3-0 thrashing by Barcelona of Ecuador on Matchday 2 of the Copa Libertadores group stage, because the 38-year-old goalkeeper will not play again for the rest of the year. Although Xeneize had the option of using a slot to replace him on the squad list, the truth is that, as TyC Sports learned, they will not do so and will only look for a goalkeeper in the middle of the year.

CONMEBOL regulations allowed the blue and gold side to replace the former Lanús player, who suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee. “The replacement of an injured goalkeeper may be allowed at any stage of the tournament once the seriousness of the injury has been verified and certified by the CONMEBOL Medical Commission. This change will be permanent,” the tournament rules state.

However, the range of options was somewhat limited because there were a few restrictions: since TMS, FIFA’s platform where transfers are registered, is closed, they could only have added a goalkeeper who was already playing in Argentine football and who was not a foreign player, since the club has no available slot.

For those reasons, the club decided not to move forward, and coach Claudio Úbeda will have two options for the position, with Leandro Brey available, who will be the starter from now on, and Javier García, who last December renewed his contract through the end of 2026. Further down the pecking order is 21-year-old Fernando Rodríguez, the Reserve team goalkeeper.

At 23, Brey will have a great chance to prove himself in Boca’s first team, a shirt in which he has already played 33 matches since arriving as a prospect from Los Andes in February 2022. The first big challenge will be next Sunday, when Xeneize visit River, which will mark his first superclásico.

Meanwhile, 39-year-old García will remain as the backup goalkeeper. The former Tigre player, who came through the club’s youth system, where he has totaled 75 appearances, and has been at the club since August 2020, is going through a long spell of inactivity because his last official match was in March 2024, in a derby against Racing. That day he started because Chiquito Romero was dealing with physical problems, but an injury forced him off in the 73rd minute and he gave way to Brey, who won the battle to become the first alternative.

It should be clarified that beyond the initial decision, it is very likely that when the transfer market reopens in the middle of the year, Xeneize will make inquiries about adding a goalkeeper because of the double competition they will have to face.

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