Argentina: who are the players carrying knocks into the World Cup | OneFootball

Lea’s injury adds uncertainty to the national team. With several players not fully fit, 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 casts doubt over his prospects for the World Cup—adds to a list of players arriving at the FIFA tournament carrying fitness issues: there are already at least ten players in the squad dealing with physical problems 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 sessions 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 keep an eye on their phones, as they may need to join the group in the U.S. if any of those arriving at less than 100 percent have to pull out.

A player-by-player look at those carrying knocks

Cristian Romero: Cuti’s is the most advanced case among the players arriving with physical issues. The center-back has been recovering for 47 days since injuring 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 other squad members. He has already trained at the facility.

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 opener, although he would arrive with just 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 arrive just in time for the start of the tournament.

Emiliano Martínez: Dibu raised alarm bells when he revealed that he injured a finger—a small fracture—during the warm-up for 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 6/16.

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 with painkilling injections a week later. The forward has already trained at the facility under medical supervision and is expected to arrive without issues.

Nicolás González: The midfielder/winger is dealing with 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 doctors to monitor his recovery. Although he made the 26-man squad, he will have to be watched until the very last moment: it is unlikely he will take part in the friendlies.

Lionel Messi: Leo triggered World Cup concern after developing inflammation in his left hamstring, although tests would 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 pre-tournament friendlies; the goal is for him to be in good condition for Argentina’s World Cup debut.

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