Boca Juniors rallies in Sudamericana, but why didn't Enner Valencia debut?

Boca Juniors secured a comeback 3-1 victory against Deportivo Recoleta in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round of 16 tie. Despite the win, the highly anticipated debut of Ecuadorian international Enner Valencia did not materialize, a decision coach Rodolfo de Arruabarrena explained was due to the player's adaptation period.

The match, held at Huracán's Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó due to repairs at Boca's La Bombonera, saw the visiting Paraguayan side take an early lead through Pedro Ríos. However, Boca Juniors rallied in the second half with goals from Santiago Ascacíbar, Milton Delgado, and Leonel Flores to secure a crucial home advantage.

Valencia, who joined Boca Juniors on August 9, 2026, has been training with the squad but is not yet deemed fully match-fit. "He's training well. He arrived recently and had to do some extra physical work on his first day," De Arruabarrena stated. "He's working with the group and also doing specific work. I want him to be in condition to be up to the team's level. I don't want to rush him, push him, and injure him... He's had 12 to 15 days of vacation, so we'll take it step by step."

While Valencia's debut is on hold, he has been assigned his jersey numbers. He will wear number 13 for domestic league games and number 30 for international competitions, according to ESPN. Boca Juniors' next match is on August 15, 2026, against Platense in the Argentine Superliga.

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He's training well. He arrived recently and had to do some extra physical work on his first day. Today he has done some studies and, honestly, he is fine. He is working with the group and at the same time works a specific part. We will see, we will discuss it with him. I want him to be in condition to be up to the team's level. I don't want to rush him, push him, and injure him... He has had 12 to 15 days of vacation, so we will take it step by step.