The national side have XI set for the friendly, stars in cotton wool

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·6 Juni 2026

The national side have XI set for the friendly, stars in cotton wool

The Argentina national team is putting the finishing touches on this Saturday’s friendly against Honduras at 9:00 p.m. in Texas, with a starting eleven outlined by Lionel Scaloni that will strictly rest all players carrying physical issues.

Tactical updates and surprises in the starting lineup

Although the basic setup remained the same as in previous sessions, the last full training practice produced two major changes in the structure:

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Right back: With enforced absences in that area, Agustín Giay beat out Nicolás Capaldo and is set to start, confirming the test the head coach tried during Friday’s session.
Midfield: Giovani Lo Celso was surprisingly included in the starting lineup in place of Alexis Mac Allister, breaking with the trend shown throughout the week.
In goal, Scaloni cleared up the doubts in his press conference by confirming Juan Musso as the starter for this match. Although Gerónimo Rulli looked like the natural replacement based on pedigree, the current Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper earned the spot thanks to his solid performances in Europe. Rulli, meanwhile, will be between the posts next Tuesday against Iceland in the final test before the biggest stage.
Meanwhile, the center of midfield will continue to be led by Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernández. Barring any last-minute issues, the final lineup will be fully confirmed in the hours before kickoff.

The full medical report: who is being managed for the opener

The coaching staff’s guiding principle is zero risk. For that reason, a long list of players is working against the clock and separately in order to arrive in optimal condition for the World Cup opener against Algeria:

Emiliano Martínez: Recovering from a fracture in the ring finger of his right hand. He will miss the friendly window, but his presence in the World Cup opener is guaranteed.
Lionel Messi: Doing individual work to regain full fitness after carrying a muscle overload from his last appearance with Inter Miami.
Julián Álvarez: He is dealing with persistent inflammation in one of his ankles suffered at Atlético de Madrid. Although the issue prevented him from training normally on Wednesday, he will reach the World Cup without problems.
Gonzalo Montiel and Nahuel Molina: Both right backs are intensifying their work to recover from respective muscle tears. Their absence prompted the emergency call-ups of Giay and Capaldo.
Leandro Paredes: He is progressing well from a minor muscle tear suffered while playing for Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores, though he is still training separately from the group.
Nicolás Paz: This is the situation Scaloni is monitoring most closely. The youngster is undergoing special medical treatment due to a minor bone injury that is causing severe pain in his left knee.

The lineup to face Honduras

Juan Musso; Agustín Giay, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Giovani Lo Celso; Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martínez and Giuliano Simeone.

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