Rodolfo Arruabarrena has called up Lautaro Mendieta and Rodrigo Bacidalup for Boca's next commitment, giving two Reserve regulars their first chance with the senior squad at a time when Boca has turned to youth to cover injuries, fatigue and rest.
The move matters now because both players are already part of Mariano Herrón's Reserve and both are in form. Bacidalup arrived after scoring both goals in Boca's 2-0 win over Platense, while Mendieta has been a steady starter from the start of 2025 and already had a place in the senior discussion after his long-range goal in Boca's 4-0 win over Central Córdoba in March.
Mendieta's rise has been rapid. The 20-year-old from Merlo, in the 2006 age group, has been at Boca since childhood, plays mainly on the right side of midfield and can also move inside or push farther forward. He signed his first professional contract in June, a deal that runs until December 2030, and Arruabarrena had already listed him with shirt number 33 for the Copa Sudamericana squad.
Bacidalup's path has been different but no less direct. The 19-year-old, from the 2007 age group and born in the Ombú area of Entre Ríos, joined Boca in 2018 after being spotted at a trial in his province. He first stood out as an attacking player, settled into the number 9 role in the Reserve and developed into a mobile striker who presses hard and attacks space. He had also trained with the first-team group during Diego Martínez's spell.
That is what gives the call-up its edge. Boca is not turning to these juveniles because it suddenly wants to build around them; it is doing so because the senior pool has been stretched and the next commitment demands bodies as much as names. Mendieta and Bacidalup have earned the step up through minutes and goals in the Reserve, but a squad call-up is not the same as a place in the XI. At this stage, the most likely outcome is that both wait for the bench first, then hope the match opens a door.
For Boca, the immediate question is less about their talent than their timing. If the senior side needs fresh legs, Mendieta and Bacidalup are now the next options in line, and their first real test will be whether a first call-up becomes a first appearance.
