Boca is ready to face Newell's Old Boys for the third matchday of the 2026 Apertura Tournament, and Claudio Úbeda has confirmed the list of called-up players. The main news is the first call-ups for Santiago Ascacibar and Ángel Romero, who not only join the squad for the first time but are also set to make their debuts as starters, according to the Argentine News Agency. Following the defeat to Estudiantes in La Plata, the 'Xeneize' need an immediate reaction at La Bombonera, where they will play this Sunday, February 1st, at 7:15 PM, with referee Darío Herrera and televised on ESPN Premium. In this context, the coaching staff is expected to rely on reinforcements to rebuild a battered team with several key absences. Among the omissions from the squad are Lucas Blondel, who has lost ground after Marcelo Weigandt's return, as well as Lucas Janson and the young Camilo Rey Domenech, both out with injuries. With the recent departure of Luis Advíncula, the right-back position is set with Juan Barinaga as the starter, accompanied by Weigandt and Dylan Gorosito as alternatives. The list of called-up players consists of Agustín Marchesín, Leandro Brey, and Javier García; Juan Barinaga, Marcelo Weigandt, Nicolás Figal, Lautaro Di Lollo, Ayrton Costa, Marco Pellegrino, Lautaro Blanco, and Malcom Braida; Leandro Paredes, Milton Delgado, Santiago Ascacibar, Tomás Belmonte, Williams Alarcón, Ander Herrera, Kevin Zenón, Agustín Martegani, and Tomás Aranda; Ángel Romero, Iker Zufiaurre, Gonzalo Gelini, and Exequiel Zeballos. The delicate physical state of the squad, with the absences of Edinson Cavani, Miguel Merentiel, Milton Giménez, and Lucas Janson, pushes Boca to reconfigure its system. In this scenario, Ascacíbar would make his official debut alongside Paredes and Herrera in what is already shaping up to be the 'ideal midfield', while Romero appears as the main offensive card from the start. Thus, the probable lineup would be: Marchesín; Barinaga, Di Lollo, Costa, Blanco; Ascacibar, Paredes, Herrera; Zenón, Romero, and Zeballos, with the expectation that the new faces will mark the path to recovery at home.
