Ex-Sporting player stunned by Argentina World Cup snub: A bomb | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni has already announced the list of 26 players called up for the World Cup, and Marcos Acuña’s absence was one of the biggest surprises in Argentina. The left-back, a regular presence in the coach’s selections — having been crowned World Champion in 2022 — reacted with huge disappointment to the news, which he had not expected at all.

Sources say he is “in a very bad place mentally” and that the decision “hit him like a bombshell”. The player believed his level of performance was stable enough to guarantee him a place on the list, especially since he had been part of the entire preparation process. It should be remembered that the former Sporting player started in Argentina’s win over Mauritania in the last FIFA international window, which reinforced his belief that he would be called up.

Although he has suffered from some physical problems, it is not any complex injury that would prevent him from taking part in the international competition. His issues are limited to muscle overload and contractures, which makes him even more surprised by Scaloni’s decision.

The former Sporting player’s disappointment is made worse by the apparent lack of communication between the coaching staff and the players. According to information from the athlete’s family, up until the day before the announcement, Acuña had not received any explanation from Scaloni, who reportedly only contacted the players who were called up.

For his position, the World Cup-winning coach chose to call up Nicolás Tagliafico, the other regular full-back of the cycle, along with Facundo Medina and Valentín Barco. Although Medina and Barco did not play on the flank during the season, they are players who can adapt to that position.

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