Leandro Paredes injured, ruled out of Sudamericana clash with Recoleta

The injury report hurts more than the scoreline. Boca played to a scoreless draw with Platense, and from that match they came away with something far more troubling than two dropped points: an injury to captain Leandro Paredes, right as Vasco Arruabarrena's side was starting to find its rhythm.

The midfielder suffered a strain in his left hamstring and is already a confirmed absence for the biggest match of the coming weeks: the second leg of the round of 16 in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana against Recoleta. And there's more, depending on how his recovery goes, he might not even be available for the road trip to face Racing at the Cilindro in matchday 6 of the Liga Profesional.

A body that never got a break all year

Paredes going down right now is no coincidence if you look at the schedule he's been carrying. At 32 years old, the midfielder is coming off a demanding season with Boca and, on top of that, played in the 2026 World Cup with the Argentina national team, a tournament the Albiceleste ended with a defeat in the final against Spain. After that final, there was no rest. Paredes skipped his vacation and jumped straight into training with Boca's new coaching staff. That kind of accumulated wear, with no real break in months, is exactly the sort of thing that tends to catch up with hamstrings.

Now the question is how long he'll be sidelined. Arruabarrena will understandably want to handle the timeline with caution and avoid rushing his captain back before the muscle is truly ready. The complication is that Paredes' own wishes factor in too, and he isn't the type to stay on the bench if he feels fit to play.

For now, he's a confirmed absence for the clash with Recoleta in the Sudamericana, and everything points to him missing the trip to Avellaneda to face Racing as well. The date everyone at the club is circling is Saturday, August 29, when Boca host Lanús at La Bombonera: that's when it will become clear whether the captain is ready in time or whether the medical staff decides not to risk him.

In the meantime, the daily routine at Casa Amarilla will revolve around updates on Paredes' physical condition. His absence isn't just a loss on the field, it's also the loss of a locker room leader at a moment when Boca needs to build certainties, not pile on new doubts.