Scaloni shuffles the pack: Agustín Giay and ‘Flaco’ López set to start | OneFootball

Argentina’s open-door training session offered clear signs about the lineup Lionel Scaloni is planning for this Saturday’s friendly against Honduras, with tactical changes and some new faces.

Unlike the first training session of the week, the coach introduced two key changes to the tactical setup during Wednesday’s practice. Forced by the large number of players dealing with physical issues, the coaching staff kept the spine of the team intact but adjusted pieces at right back and up front.

The changes and the shift to a 4-4-2

The shape of the team tested in Kansas differed from previous sessions, changing both the formation and the personnel as follows:

Battle at right back: Agustín Giay wore the purple bib with the starters, replacing Nicolás Capaldo. With both Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel unavailable, the spot for the weekend is now being contested exclusively by Giay and Capaldo.

Surprise with two strikers: José Manuel López came into the attack in place of Giuliano Simeone. Scaloni went with an unusual combination for his usual setups by lining up “Flaco” López alongside Lautaro Martínez in the finishing zone.

Midfield reshuffle: With these changes, the system shifted from a 4-3-3 to a clear 4-4-2. Rodrigo De Paul moved out to the right flank, Thiago Almada was positioned on the left side of midfield, while Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister formed the central double pivot.

The team shaping up for Saturday

Although the coaching staff has not made the final lineup official for the first warm-up match on the road to the World Cup, the XI taking shape in the morning sessions is made up of:

With just two days to go before the match against the Central American side, the only questions raised by Scaloni are whether to choose Giay or Capaldo in defense and López or Simeone in attack.

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