Optimism in the national team: no squad changes for 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

The outlook for the Argentina National Team exactly two weeks before its World Cup opener against Algeria is not ideal. A total of nine players arrived in Kansas injured or dealing with physical issues, the city serving as the delegation’s base and where it has already held its first two training sessions. However, Lionel Scaloni’s coaching staff believes all of them will be medically cleared before the opener and that the list of 26 players published last Thursday will not undergo any changes.

Three of the nine players who arrived physically on the edge trained normally on the first day. They were Julián Álvarez, Thiago Almada, and Nico Paz. The first had twisted his ankle in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Arsenal. Although he played the return leg after receiving injections, he did not play again for the rest of the season. His teammate, meanwhile, had been carrying muscle overload due to the accumulation of matches. The talented Como attacking midfielder is also much better after the bruise to his left knee suffered in the match against Hellas Verona.

For Tuesday’s training session, the second on the field since arriving in Kansas, another key piece was added: Cristian Romero. Cuti had worried everyone when he left in tears against Sunderland after colliding with his own goalkeeper, Antonín Kinský. The diagnosis was a lateral ligament injury in his right knee, which kept him off the field at the end of a season in which Tottenham came close to relegation, but also allowed him to recover in time for the World Cup. He is likely to get minutes in the second and final friendly before the tournament next Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn University, against Iceland.

Cuti Romero trained normally in Argentina’s second practice in Kansas and is available for Scaloni. (@Argentina)

Lionel Messi, Nahuel Molina, and Leandro Paredes are three of those expected to get minutes in the second friendly. The captain set off alarm bells when he came off in the match between Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union while touching his left hamstring. Although he only has muscle overload and his presence at the World Cup is not at risk, the coaching staff does not want to take any chances with him against Honduras next Saturday, and he may only get a few minutes against Iceland.

The right back, meanwhile, suffered a Grade I tear in his left hamstring in the last match of the season against Celta de Vigo. He will train with his teammates in the coming days and could also be available against the Europeans on Tuesday. His spot in the team, after an initial tactical session, was taken by Nicolás Capaldo.

Rumors said that the Boca captain had suffered a tear in his right hamstring during the warm-up for the crucial match against Universidad Católica, which ended with the Xeneize being eliminated in the Copa Libertadores group stage. That version was denied internally: he is dealing with a severe muscle contracture that did not allow him to play at full capacity. He could rest against Honduras with the aim of being fully fit for the clash against Iceland.

The two most complicated cases are Emiliano Martínez and Gonzalo Montiel. Dibu suffered a fracture of the ring finger on his right hand during the warm-up for the Europa League final between Aston Villa and Freiburg. He played the match and then did not train again. Although these types of injuries are common for goalkeepers and he currently has the finger splinted, it is not the ideal situation. His presence at the World Cup is not in danger, but he could be on the bench in the opener against Algeria. In recent hours he posted a photo with the finger splinted and his hand bandaged.

Cachete, meanwhile, suffered a Grade II tear in his left quadriceps in the Torneo Apertura semifinal against Rosario Central on May 16. The injury kept him out of the final against Belgrano and, although the timeline suggests he should recover in time for the World Cup, it remains to be seen how he responds to the demands. Of all of them, he is the one most at risk of being left out, although the coaching staff trusts that he will get there without major issues. Still, as was shown before Qatar, if he is not at 100%, his place will go to someone else, just as happened with Nicolás González and Joaquín Correa.

With his finger splinted and his hand bandaged, this is how Dibu Martínez looks two weeks before the World Cup.

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