Boca Sets Three Changes to Visit Instituto: Palacios, Alarcón and Villa Come Into the Lineup

With a packed schedule juggling the domestic tournament and international commitments, Vasco Arruabarrena already has his lineup in mind for the trip to face Instituto in Matchday 12 of the 2026 Clausura Tournament. It won't be the same starting eleven that's been repeating lately: there are at least three confirmed changes for the match in Córdoba.

The main news involves a significant absence: Alan Velasco will be out with an injury. That opens the door for Carlos Palacios, who's been the best option to fill that spot, so everything points to him starting in Velasco's place.

The second move concerns the midfield. Leandro Paredes would be rested, a decision that paves the way for Williams Alarcón to start alongside Santiago Ascacibar and Milton Delgado in the middle of the park.

And the third change? That one's up front. Leonel Flores arrived carrying a heavy workload after his matches with the Argentina national team, and rather than push him, Arruabarrena prefers to hold him back as an option off the bench. His spot would go to Sebastián Villa, who would pair up front with Miguel Merentiel.

There's an extra detail adding intrigue about the bench: Diego Monroig confirmed on Buen Día ESPN that Rodrigo Battaglia has a real shot at making the substitutes list for this match.

Boca's Likely Starting Lineup

With all these moves, the team that would take the field in Córdoba looks like this: Álvaro Montero; Leandro Lozano, Lautaro Di Lollo, Facundo Herrera, Lautaro Blanco; Santiago Ascacibar, Williams Alarcón and Milton Delgado; Carlos Palacios, Sebastián Villa and Miguel Merentiel.

Boca keeps fighting on every front it has open, and in that context, the partial rotation Vasco is considering aims to manage workloads without giving up competitiveness as La Gloria. It remains to be seen whether these names are confirmed as expected in practice ahead of the trip to Córdoba.