With Messi and Cuti Romero out, Scaloni considers a last-minute call-up | OneFootball

After the 3-0 victory against the Venezuelan National Team, the Argentine National Team returned to training and is preparing for the match against Ecuador as visitors, in what will be their last appearance in the South American Qualifiers, where they have secured the first place.

For this match, the coach of the Albiceleste, Lionel Scaloni, will have to make at least two changes. One of them will be the replacement for Lionel Messi, who will not travel with the delegation, while the other will be in defense, as Cristian Romero is suspended.

In this context, Scaloni has few options in that position, as the roster only includes Nicolás Otamendi, Leonardo Balerdi, and Juan Foyth. This is why, in the absence of 'Cuti', the coach might urgently call another player to be an option against Ecuador.

"We are tight in that position, we will see if we call someone," were the coach's words at a press conference, where he opened the possibility of calling another central defender. For this position, there are six names that could be called, and one has an advantage.

The one who could be called is Facundo Medina. The Olympique de Marseille defender was present in the last rosters and was cut from the preliminary list given by Scaloni. This is why he is the player with the most chances of receiving the call if the coach decides so.

Then, there are two players who could be present as they play in Argentine football. They are Kevin Lomónaco and Lucas Martínez Quarta, who have been called up recently. From Europe, Marcos Senesi, with great performance at Bournemouth, or Mariano Troilo, a recent addition to Parma, could be considered.

Finally, the sixth name is Aaron Anselmino. The 20-year-old defender debuted at Borussia Dortmund and could be called not only to train and play with the senior team but also to do so with the U-20 team, which is preparing for the World Cup in Chile, to be held between September and October.

The possible lineup for Argentina to face Ecuador

The team led by Scaloni could take the field with: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Nicolás Otamendi, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolás Otamendi; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes; Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Thiago Almada, and Julián Álvarez.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.