On the brink of the final stretch of the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, Boca received news that complicates its planning. Santiago Ascacíbar has been suspended for two matches by CONMEBOL following his red card against Barcelona of Guayaquil and will miss the two decisive matches against Cruzeiro and Universidad Católica de Chile.
The midfielder received a red card in the 1-0 defeat in Guayaquil after a harsh foul on Milton Céliz, whom he kicked in the head during a dispute for the ball. In addition to the sporting sanction, he also received a financial fine of 3 thousand dollars, an amount that will be deducted from the income that Xeneize receives from television rights and tournament sponsorship.
With this ruling, the former Estudiantes will not be able to participate against Cruzeiro nor in the last match against Universidad Católica de Chile, two crucial games to determine qualification for the round of 16. The coaching staff of Claudio Úbeda is already working on a replacement, and all indications suggest that Tomás Belmonte will take his place in midfield.
The absence of the midfielder is not the only concern for Boca ahead of the clash with the Brazilian team: Leandro Paredes, Lautaro Blanco, and Ayrton Costa are on the brink of yellow cards, and a new card in tonight's match would leave them out of the decisive duel against Universidad Católica.
The situation in Group D is tight and forces the club from La Ribera not to drop points along the way. Currently, they are third with six points, while Cruzeiro and Universidad Católica lead the group with seven points each. Therefore, in addition to the need to secure a victory today at La Bombonera, the team must also manage fatigue and be cautious of possible bookings to avoid being in a compromised position at the end of the group stage.
