Ex-Sporting star stunned by Argentina World Cup snub: A bombshell | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni has already announced the squad of 26 called up for the World Cup, and the absence of Marcos Acuña 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 enormous disappointment to the news, which he had not expected at all.

Sources say he is “in a very bad mental state” and that the decision “hit him like a bomb.” The player believed his level of performance was stable enough to secure 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 dealt with some physical problems, this is not any complex injury that would prevent him from taking part in the international tournament. His issues are limited to muscle fatigue and contractures, which makes his surprise at Scaloni’s decision even greater.

The disappointment of the former Sporting player 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 flanks during the season, they are players who can adapt to this position.

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