Argentina squad: who’s carrying knocks into the World Cup | OneFootball

Lea’s injury adds uncertainty to the national team. With several players carrying knocks, Scaloni is weighing alternatives to secure the World Cup squad.

The confirmation of Leandro Paredes’ injury —a strain in his right hamstring that rules him out of Argentina’s friendlies and raises doubts ahead of the World Cup— adds to a list of footballers arriving at the FIFA tournament under an injury cloud: there are already at least ten players in the squad dealing with physical issues of varying severity.

If the confirmation of the 26-man list was delayed until Thursday afternoon, it was because several players were going through different recovery processes. Paredes’ diagnosis came just hours before boarding the flight to Kansas City. And the caution will continue even during training in Missouri.

That is why Scaloni decided to keep several players on standby to cover contingencies, such as Santiago Beltrán, Agustín Giay, Nicolás Capaldo, Nico Domínguez, Matías Soulé, Máximo Perrone, and Emiliano Buendía. All of them will have to stay close to their phones, as they may need to join the group in the U.S. if any of the players carrying knocks drops out.

A player-by-player look at those arriving with issues

Cristian Romero: Cuti’s is the most advanced case among the players arriving with physical problems. The center-back has already spent 47 days recovering from an injury to the lateral ligament in his right knee. Given the time that has passed and his expected progress, his outlook is more favorable than that of others in the squad. He has already trained at the camp.

Gonzalo Montiel: Cachete is going through a more delicate situation because his grade 2 muscle tear was diagnosed recently. In the most optimistic scenario, he could be available for the debut, although he would arrive with only 33 days of recovery. That is why his situation is drawing special attention from the coaching staff.

Nahuel Molina: The Atlético full-back also suffered a muscle tear, although a less serious one. It was a grade 1 injury that, if no complications arise, would allow him to be available for the first group-stage match on June 16. Both he and Montiel would reach the start of the tournament just in time.

Emiliano Martínez: Dibu raised alarms when he revealed that he injured a finger —a small fracture— during the warm-up before the Europa League final. He currently has the joint area immobilized and will miss the friendlies against Honduras and Iceland, but he would be available against Algeria on June 16.

Nicolás Paz: One of the cases requiring the closest monitoring. The national team even sent a doctor to Italy to assess his condition, and after arriving in Argentina he worked in Ezeiza under the supervision of the medical staff. Although the initial reports were encouraging after the knock he suffered on April 10 in the match against Hellas Verona, his progress will be monitored day by day, even on the eve of the opener.

Julián Álvarez: The Spider suffered a sprain in his left ankle in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal (4/29) against Arsenal. He even played the return leg under injections a week later. The forward has already worked at the camp under medical supervision and is expected to arrive without issues.

Nicolás González: The midfielder/winger is recovering from a muscle tear suffered on April 28 during an Atlético de Madrid training session. Already in Ezeiza, he is under constant supervision from the national team’s medical staff to monitor his recovery. Although he was included in the 26-man squad, he will need to be watched until the very last moment: it is unlikely he will take part in the friendlies.

Lionel Messi: Leo sparked a World Cup scare after developing inflammation in his left hamstring, although tests reportedly indicate there is no muscle tear. The news brought relief within the coaching staff. He will need to rest for a few days and could miss the warm-up friendlies; the goal is for him to be in good condition for Argentina’s World Cup opener.

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