Time to pick a replacement: Marcos Senesi leads race for Balerdi spot

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·6 June 2026

Time to pick a replacement: Marcos Senesi leads race for Balerdi spot

After it was confirmed that defender Leonardo Balerdi has been ruled out of the World Cup with a tear in the soleus of his right leg, head coach Lionel Scaloni is racing against the clock to assess possible replacements from the 55-man preliminary list, with Marcos Senesi emerging as the leading candidate to take the spot.

The range of options in central defense

The 27-year-old Olympique de Marseille player had initially beaten out Senesi for a place in the final 26-man squad. Scaloni’s tactical decision had been based on positioning Balerdi as the direct backup to Cristian “Cuti” Romero as the first-choice center back, while projecting Nicolás Otamendi into the “6” role. However, Otamendi’s versatility — the recent River Plate signing who can also play comfortably as a “2” — gives the coaching staff much more room to maneuver when choosing a replacement from the five available center backs:

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Marcos Senesi: He is the player in the best current form of the group. The center back who came through at San Lorenzo is coming off being one of the standout performers in the Premier League with Bournemouth — a club where his contract expires at the end of the month and where there is speculation about strong interest from Tottenham. Being left-footed and having extensive European experience gives him a clear edge in making the World Cup squad.
Germán Pezzella: He is currently a substitute at River Plate and has been struggling for form, to the point that his future with Los Millonarios is even in doubt after returning from an injury in April. In his favor are his status as a world champion, his vast international experience, and his complete familiarity with the group and the demands of a World Cup.
Lucas Martínez Quarta: River Plate’s current captain had an inconsistent first half of the year, alternating standout performances with specific mistakes that led to goals conceded. He has the backing of being a two-time Copa América champion and having an excellent relationship with the squad.
Zaid Romero: At 26, he completed a positive loan spell at Getafe in Spain and is due to return to Club Brugge in Belgium, which owns his rights. He is left-footed and also has the versatility to play at left back, although since he has no previous appearances for the senior national team, his call-up would be a real surprise.
Lautaro Di Lollo: The young Boca Juniors defender began the year with a major role under Claudio Úbeda thanks to his strong aerial game. However, a string of individual errors caused a drop in his level, and he ended the first half of the year with more doubts than certainties.

The option of adding a full-back

Although the coaching staff’s initial priority is to bring in another center back, Scaloni is not ruling out a major shake-up and calling up a left back instead. Under that logic, Marcos “Huevo” Acuña — a world champion and one of the most notable absences from the original squad — could come in as the direct alternative to Nicolás Tagliafico. If that move happens, Facundo Medina would then be considered strictly as Lisandro Martínez’s backup in central defense. Another option with similar characteristics at left back is Gabriel Rojas.

The situation at right back

The rest of the defenders completing the 55-man provisional list play on the right flank. These options remain on hold pending the medical progress of Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel. At the moment, Agustín Giay and Nicolás Capaldo are with Scaloni in the United States for the pre-tournament friendlies, while Kevin Mac Allister remains in reserve and is currently behind the other two youngsters in the pecking order.

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