Boca Juniors' head coach Claudio Úbeda will have midfielder Leandro Paredes available, as he has served his suspension for accumulated yellow cards. Meanwhile, Spanish player Ander Herrera is set to start in place of Chilean Carlos Palacios for this Sunday's Superclásico against River Plate. The 'Xeneize' squad will train this afternoon at their Ezeiza sports complex. On Wednesday, they will hold a double training session, on Thursday there will be a formal, closed-door football practice, and on Friday, after the morning session, the team will enter concentration for the crucial match at La Bombonera. Paredes will return to the starting lineup after missing one match and will replace Tomás Belmonte, who played last Sunday in La Plata in Boca's 2-1 victory over Estudiantes. In that match, Spanish player Ander Herrera replaced Palacios, whose performance was very poor and has yet to fully convince the coaching staff, making him a likely starter against River. Palacios' performance against Estudiantes was very weak, and Boca improved with Herrera's introduction. The 'Xeneize' is in a very strong position, and a win would secure their place in the top continental tournament, while the 'Millionaire' is going through a very bad streak and is seriously at risk of losing its participation in the competition it has been part of uninterruptedly since 2015. Therefore, Boca's likely formation to face River would be as follows: Agustín Marchesín; Juan Farrow, Lautaro Di Lollo, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco; Milton Delgado, Leandro Paredes, Ander Herrera; Ezequiel Zeballos, Milton Giménez, and Miguel Merentiel. This is why Úbeda is considering starting the Spaniard in midfield alongside Leandro Paredes and Milton Delgado. Additionally, the substitution of Peruvian Luis Advíncula for Juan Farrow, who looked exhausted, was not satisfactory, so the former Belgrano de Córdoba player will continue as a starter. The Superclásico will be of vital importance, as both Boca and River are fighting to finish in the top three of the annual table to qualify for the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
