Did Boca fans brace for the worst? The alarm bells rang instantly across Boca as the worst fear was confirmed: Leandro Paredes suffered a grade‑2 tear in the right‑leg hamstring during Friday night’s clash with Instituto de Córdoba at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium, ruling him out of the decisive fixtures ahead.
The Argentina international entered the match ten minutes into the second half, replacing Milton Delgado. Just fifteen minutes later, a sharp pain struck the back of his thigh, forcing him off and prompting Santiago Ascacíbar to come on at the 71′ mark. After limping to the bench, Paredes watched the remainder of the game with ice applied to the injured area before heading to the locker room.
Paredes, pieza clave de Boca. REUTERS/Rodrigo Valle
Medical scans pinpointed a two‑grade tear, suggesting roughly three weeks of rehab. That sidelines coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena‘s midfield lynchpin for the Copa Sudamericana semifinal against Vasco da Gama of Brazil (first leg Tuesday 21:30 at La Bombonera, return Tuesday the 20th at the Maracaná). For my money, losing Paredes robs Boca of its creative engine when it matters most. Optimistic recovery could see him back for the Superclásico versus River Plate.
After the Córdoba match, Vasco Arruabarrena warned of a tough road: “The pitch was fine and fast, the only thing we regret is Lea’s injury. Seeing his face, I assume he’s out for Tuesday. We’ll arrive in Buenos Aires and must already think about the mid‑week showdown.”
Dolor de cabeza para Arruabarrena por la lesión de Paredes REUTERS/Rodrigo Valle
The world‑champion’s absence creates a painful headache for the Xeneize as they embark on a 24‑day stretch that will shape the semester, including trips to Independiente in Avellaneda and a local cup tie with Talleres. Paredes joins an already taxed medical list that has Agustín Marchesín, Adam Bareiro, Tomás Aranda and Tomás Belmonte sidelined for the rest of the year, plus the recent muscle issue of Alan Velasco.