With Messi a doubt, Argentina's likely line-up vs Mauritania | OneFootball

Although Scaloni confirmed him for both matches, the captain might not be part of the starting lineup in the first of the FIFA international friendlies.

The Argentina National Team will play the first of its two friendlies scheduled for this FIFA international window on Friday, kicking off at 8:15 p.m. against Mauritania at La Bombonera, and Lionel Messi might not take the field from the start.

Lionel Scaloni’s decision would not only be about managing the captain’s workload, but especially about getting a longer look at Nicolás Paz in action alongside regular starters, as he is enjoying a great spell with Como in Italy.

“At this hour, I still have doubts about Messi starting. He will play in both matches, Scaloni himself confirmed it, but there is a need to observe other players and confirm certain positions. That’s why there’s a very good chance he won’t be in the starting lineup today and that Nico Paz will get the opportunity, most likely,” Diego Monroig said early this Friday on SportsCenter.

The other doubts the coach has ahead of the clash with Mauritania are whether Nicolás Tagliafico or Marcos Acuña will start at left back, and whether Thiago Almada or Leandro Paredes will complete a midfield with Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister already confirmed.

As things stand, Argentina would line up at La Bombonera with Emiliano Martínez; Nicolás Tagliafico or Marcos Acuña, Marcos Senesi, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina; Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Leandro Paredes or Thiago Almada, Nicolás González; Lionel Messi or Nicolás Paz, and Julián Álvarez.

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