Rayados will host Juárez on Saturday, August 15, at Estadio BBVA, and the matchup arrives with more questions about the home side’s back line than about the opponent. For Jornada 4 of the Torneo Apertura 2026 in Liga MX, Matías Almeyda is still weighing how much to change a team that is already missing Carlos Salcedo and Stefan Medina.
The reason the game is drawing attention now is simple: both clubs come in after two wins and one loss in the Leagues Cup, and the last meeting between them ended 2-2 in the border region. That kind of balance usually makes for a tight night, and Rayados know the margin is thinner when two regular defenders are unavailable before a league match at home.
Salcedo will not be an option after being sent off against Atlas for strongly protesting the refereeing crew, while Medina has permission to travel to Colombia to handle personal matters after the earthquake there. Those absences leave Almeyda with fewer established choices, even if Luis Cárdenas stays in goal as the starter despite the coaching change and Esteban Andrada’s suspension. Cárdenas has allowed five goals in three Leagues Cup matches, but the issue on Saturday is less about the keeper than the structure in front of him.
That is where the lineup decision gets tricky. Almeyda has already said the rest between matches was insufficient, which points toward some rotation, but Rayados also need to cover the center of the defense. Víctor Guzmán would lead that line because Salcedo and Medina are out, Luis Reyes is one of the freshest options after not playing in the last round of the Leagues Cup, and César Bustos is also listed as an alternative.
So the match is no longer only about whether Rayados can protect Estadio BBVA. It is about whether Almeyda trusts freshness enough to change his XI for Juárez, or whether the need to patch the defense forces a more conservative choice. By kickoff, that answer should shape the night as much as the opponent does.
