The national side have their XI for the friendly, stars protected

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·6 June 2026

The national side have their XI for the friendly, stars protected

The Argentina national team is putting the finishing touches on this Saturday’s friendly against Honduras in Texas at 9:00 p.m., with Lionel Scaloni having largely settled on a starting XI while strictly protecting all players carrying physical issues.

Tactical updates and surprises in the starting lineup

Although the basic shape remained the same as in previous sessions, the last full practice brought two major changes to the setup:

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Right-back: With forced absences in that area, Agustín Giay beat out Nicolás Capaldo and is now expected to start, confirming the test the head coach tried on Friday.
Midfield: Giovani Lo Celso was surprisingly included in the starting lineup in place of Alexis Mac Allister, breaking from the trend seen throughout the week.
In goal, Scaloni cleared up any doubts in his press conference by confirming Juan Musso as the starter for this match. Although Gerónimo Rulli had appeared to be the natural replacement based on pedigree, the current Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper earned the spot thanks to his strong performances in Europe. Rulli, meanwhile, will mind the net next Tuesday against Iceland in the final test before the biggest stage.
Meanwhile, the center of midfield will remain under the command of Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernández. Barring any last-minute issues, the final lineup will be fully confirmed in the hours leading up to kickoff.

The full medical report: who is being rested for the debut

The coaching staff’s guiding principle is zero risk. For that reason, a long list of players is working against the clock and separately from the group in order to be in top condition for the World Cup opener against Algeria:

Emiliano Martínez: Recovering from a fracture to the ring finger on his right hand. He will miss the friendly window, but his place in the World Cup opener is guaranteed.
Lionel Messi: Doing separate work to regain full fitness after carrying a muscle overload from his last appearance with Inter Miami.
Julián Álvarez: He is dealing with persistent inflammation in one of his ankles suffered at Atlético de Madrid. Although the issue prevented him from training normally on Wednesday, he will arrive at the World Cup without problems.
Gonzalo Montiel and Nahuel Molina: Both right-backs are stepping up their work to recover from muscle tears. Their absence prompted the emergency call-ups of Giay and Capaldo.
Leandro Paredes: He is progressing well from a minor muscle tear suffered while playing for Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores, though he is still training apart from the group.
Nicolás Paz: This is the situation Scaloni is monitoring most closely. The youngster is undergoing special medical treatment due to a minor bone injury that is causing severe pain in his left knee.

The lineup to face Honduras

Juan Musso; Agustín Giay, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Giovani Lo Celso; Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martínez and Giuliano Simeone.

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