Boca calls up Lautaro Bianco to first team after Tomas Aranda injury

Tomas Aranda's injury threw a wrench into Boca's plans right as the schedule gets tougher: there are still long months of the 2026 Torneo Clausura, the round of 16 in the Copa Argentina and the quarterfinals of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana ahead. But setbacks like this also open doors, and this time the opportunity has fallen to a young player who's been knocking on that door from the reserves.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena has already made his call: bring up Lautaro Bianco to the first team, one of the most exciting names in the club's youth ranks. As soon as the medical report on Aranda came back, ruling him out for the rest of the year, Arruabarrena decided the teenager would start training with the senior squad this Saturday. The coaching staff's plan isn't just to patch a hole. They want to give him minutes and build his confidence so he's ready to step in soon, at least as a rotation option.

Bianco, nicknamed "Chicle" in the youth academy, was born in Moron on February 19, 2007, and is 19 years old. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger, comfortable on either side, and his standout qualities include dribbling, a change of pace and a long-range shot that has already produced a memorable goal or two. He also knows how to shield the ball under pressure, something not every player his age has mastered in the reserves.

A path built in the youth ranks

His journey at Boca didn't happen overnight. Bianco came up in the same age group as Leonel Flores and Aranda himself, climbing step by step: he stood out in the Under-17 squad before moving up to the reserves, where he worked under Mariano Herron. There he won back to back titles, picked up an assist in a final and scored a goal in the Trofeo de Campeones.

On June 22 of last year, he signed his first professional contract, running through December 2029, and at the time he didn't hide how emotional the moment was for him.

My mom and dad are the pillars of my lifeLautaro Bianco

With Aranda sidelined, everything points to what looked like a matter of time now becoming permanent. The challenge ahead is competing for minutes in his position with Alan Velasco, which won't be easy, though it doesn't seem to intimidate him. He recently started in the reserves' 3-2 win over Estudiantes de La Plata in the Torneo Proyeccion and put in a strong performance, on top of a memorable goal against Belgrano in that same competition, a run down the left flank that finished in the top corner.

Boca needs fresh options for the stretch ahead, and Bianco has laid the groundwork. It remains to be seen whether Arruabarrena throws him into his debut soon or takes it slowly, but the chance is there for the taking.