Enner Valencia left out of Boca's squad for San Lorenzo clash due to foreigner quota

He won't be there. Enner Valencia has been left off Boca Juniors' squad list for the clásico against San Lorenzo, a match to be played at Estadio Pedro Bidegain for matchday 10 of the Torneo Clausura. And the reason has nothing to do with the Ecuadorian's form, but rather with a purely regulatory issue.

The news was broken by Emiliano Raddi via ESPN: the Tri's top scorer won't be joining the squad ahead of this key clash, one in which Boca needs points to settle into position in both the Clausura table and the overall standings. His spot on the roster will go to youngster Rodrigo Bacigalupe, who takes advantage of the absence to earn a call-up.

The reason? The foreigner quota. It's a restriction that forces coaches to make tough calls, and in this case Rodolfo Arruabarrena decided to prioritize five other foreign players: Alvaro Montero, Leandro Lozano, Sebastian Villa, Angel Romero and Carlos Palacios. With those five names already filling the available slots, there was no room left for Valencia, who won't be on the team sheet this time.

When does Enner Valencia play again?

The absence shouldn't last long. The forward is expected to get another chance when Boca faces Racing in the quarterfinals of the Copa Argentina, a match set for September 27.

It's worth noting that Valencia hadn't been going through a rough patch. Last Friday he scored his first goal in the win over Central Cordoba, good news after a stretch without finding the net. His role against Sao Paulo was different, though, as he only saw a few minutes late in the match in which Boca ultimately sealed its spot in the Copa Sudamericana semifinal.

All told, the foreigner quota leaves one of the squad's top offensive weapons out of a high stakes clasico, just as Arruabarrena's team tries to build momentum both domestically and on the continental stage.

Day, time and broadcast

The match between San Lorenzo and Boca will be played on Sunday, September 20, with coverage from TNT Sports in Argentina and Disney+ for the rest of Latin America. Kickoff is set for 2:45 PM in Argentina and Uruguay, 1:45 PM in Chile, and 12:45 PM in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.