After the fracture scare, Dibu explained how he made the opener | OneFootball

Dibu Martínez made a save in Argentina’s debut against Algeria and then spoke about it. In the mixed zone, after the 3-0 thrashing that included a Messi hat-trick, which drew him level with Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in World Cup history, the goalkeeper revealed the details of a recovery that was far from easy. “It was a completely different preparation, I couldn’t do much on the field. With Martín Tocalli and the physio, it was three sessions a day, trying to get the swelling down in my finger, which was a lot,” he said about the weeks leading up to the debut.

The fracture to the ring finger of his right hand happened during the Europa League final with Aston Villa. Martínez decided to play that final anyway and ended up becoming champion, but the price was arriving at the World Cup with an injury that prevented him from training normally during preseason with the national team.

He missed the friendlies against Honduras and Iceland and remained doubtful until the very last moment for the opener.

The most important decision he made was on his own, and he took the risk: not having surgery. “I let my body heal on its own and didn’t have surgery. It was the best decision,” said the goalkeeper, who trusted the natural recovery process together with fitness coach Martín Tocalli and the national team’s medical staff.

The result spoke for itself: Dibu started against Algeria, Argentina won 3-0, and the goalkeeper did not have to make any crucial intervention during the match.

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