Emiliano Buendía 'on alert' if a 2026 World Cup pick's injury worsens | OneFootball

The Aston Villa footballer was on the verge of making the 26-man squad. He was asked to stay alert for a last-minute call-up. Nico Paz is one of the players carrying a knock and arrived just in time; he will be tested.

The Argentina National Team is already settled in Kansas City for the 2026 World Cup, but knows that the tournament really begins on opening day, which for La Scaloneta is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16. There are two weeks ahead in which unexpected issues could force major decisions, and the first of them has just one main figure: Emiliano Buendía.

The other native of Mar del Plata at Aston Villa, teammate of his fellow countryman Emiliano Dibu Martínez, was left just outside the 26-man list that the AFA submitted to FIFA. But it is known that national teams have until 24 hours before their first match to make changes, replacing injured players with someone who was on the 55-man preliminary list announced a few weeks earlier.

That is where Buendía’s name comes in. He had a great season in English football, scored a goal in the Europa League final, where he celebrated a historic title for the Birmingham club, and his absence from Lionel Scaloni’s final plans sparked debate.

But as stated, in the lead-up to a World Cup nothing is set in stone. And this Wednesday, word from the Albiceleste camp was that Buendía received a call from the coaching staff telling him not to turn off his phone or neglect his physical preparation in these days, and that if he does go on vacation, he should not go too far from the United States. In other words, he is to stay “on alert” for an emergency call-up to the national team.

The possible good news for 29-year-old Buendía paints a difficult picture for another player: Nicolás Paz. The youngster developed at Real Madrid, who also shone this year while playing for Como in Italy’s Serie A, is recovering from a knock to his left knee and is one of Argentina’s injured concerns.

Although in an initial assessment carried out in Ezeiza the 21-year-old showed signs of being recovered, the evaluation in Kansas is proving more demanding, and Scaloni and his staff want him to be 100 percent fit. That is one of the key principles preached by the coach from Pujato, especially when it comes to younger players whom he needs to provide fresh legs.

It will be crucial to see how training unfolds in Kansas, which will only pause this Thursday when the squad travels to Dallas to play the first of two friendlies, on Saturday the 6th against Honduras. Will there be minutes for Nico Paz? What will be going through the mind of Pablo’s son, the former national team player? How will Buendía be feeling? Difficult questions to answer in the build-up to a World Cup that is already being played.

The case is different from those of Nicolás Capaldo and Máximo Perrone, who could also make the final squad because of other injuries.

The full-back is already in Kansas and would be in the starting lineup for the friendly against Honduras, while the former Vélez midfielder is in a situation similar to Buendía’s, waiting for a call. Montiel and Paredes are the ones still dealing with physical issues; they are recovering and will be assessed to determine whether they will be replaced.

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