Boca He achieved qualification for the Copa Libertadores in 2025 without Olympic returns, which left mixed feelings. With the transfer market in its final stretch, Juan Roman Riquelme Work against the clock to finish outlining the team and aim for sports recovery.
With this panorama, Boca It is going through a situation that is as striking as it is worrying at the beginning of 2026. What seemed to be a squad with an abundance of names in the attack transformed, in a matter of days, into a true puzzle. The confirmation of Miguel Merentiel’s injury deepened an unthinkable scenario. Xeneize does not have any significant center forward available for the start of the Apertura Tournament.
What Boca will do with its attack
The bad streak began with Edinson Cavani and Milton Giménez. Both have had physical problems since the start of the preseason. While the “Matador” suffers from low back pain that makes him uncomfortable, the “Cabo” suffers from a discomfort in his pubis that prevented him from working normally at the beginning of the year. The final blow was Merentiel’s tear in the friendly against Olimpia, which definitively ruled him out for the official premiere.
Given this void, Claudio Úbeda will have to resort to an emergency solution for the position. Lucas Janson, who was relegated for almost all of 2025 and only started once, will be responsible for occupying the center forward this Sunday against Riestra. Janson will probably be accompanied by Exequiel Zeballos and Brian Aguirre on the wingers. Meanwhile, 20-year-old youth Iker Zufiaurre was promoted from the Reserve to be the main alternative on the substitute bench.
This offensive crisis revives doubts about the composition of the Boca squad, after the failed polls by Miguel Borja and Alexis Cuello. In the last few hours, and after Marino Hinestroza’s pass fell through, Ángel Romero’s name gained strength again after being released from Corinthians. There are already formal talks with Riquelme. Meanwhile, the club is betting that this contingency plan will be enough to overcome a debut conditioned by injuries.
