Prestianni and Otamendi on tenterhooks: Benfica duo await good news | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi and Gianluca Prestianni are included in Argentina’s preliminary squad list for the next World Cup. Last Monday, April 11, the Albiceleste federation revealed the first names, including the Benfica stars, who will be considered by Lionel Scaloni, who, closer to the date of the competition, will reduce the group to just 26 players.

According to Record, the national team coach called up 55 players, but, as the same source recalls, he will only be able to take 26 to the World Cup, where Argentina will try to defend the title won in Qatar in 2022. Therefore, both Otamendi and Prestianni are eyeing one of the open spots.

It is worth mentioning that Gianluca Prestianni, if he is called up to represent Argentina at the World Cup, already knows that, due to the punishment imposed by UEFA and later extended by FIFA, he will miss Argentina’s first two matches in the competition, against Algeria and Austria.

In the list of 55 preliminary call-ups, besides the Benfica stars, Scaloni also called up Alan Varela, the midfielder who won the national title with Porto. Former Eagle Enzo Fernández also appears on the list, as do the two targets already linked with the Club of Light, namely Thiago Almada of Atlético Madrid and Flaco López, Palmeiras’ forward.

This season, playing for Benfica, Nicolás Otamendi — valued at 1 million euros — has already made 48 appearances: 29 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 14 in the Champions League, two in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup and one in the Super Cup. .

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