“The situation we are in with some players is not ideal and we have to cover ourselves in some way and then make the final decision. There are some doubts because of the physicality and that is why we brought in extra players who can serve.” The words of Lionel Scaloniwho surprisingly chose to hold a press conference that was not scheduled in the first hours of the preparation of the Argentine National Team in Miami, shed light on the cause of the number of people summoned for this pre-tour America Cup. The 29 mentioned were not a whim or a random number. There are footballers who They arrive damaged or with little running due to injuries and this forces the coaching staff to put a magnifying glass on those cases. Who are they?
Scaloni is on a lead foot. He does not want a repetition of negative surprises like the days before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Although the end of that story was happy, the beginning of the road after the friendly in Abu Dhabi had turbulence that caused significant last-minute withdrawals (Nicolas Gonzalez and Joaquin Correa) and even internal bad moods because in some cases they noticed a lack of sincerity when whitewashing the physical state.
Now, in the run-up to the first major competition after winning the World Cup, the Albiceleste coach and his work group are taking all necessary precautions. There was rigorous monitoring of each case. Some names were directly discarded and others are under observation until the last minute because, although they are recovered, they come with the minutes counted in the year.
One is Marcos Acuña, who suffered a myofascial injury to the rectus femoris of the left thigh in Seville between February and March. But the Egg has had physical discomfort since then. This explains the presence of Valentín Barco in the pre-list, as an alternative at left back in addition to Nicolás Tagliafico, number one.
Another one who arrives “touched” is German Pezzella. The defender recently recovered from a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot and in the last few hours he underwent new medical check-ups to monitor his progress. Lucas Martínez Quarta and Leonardo Balerdi were called for this reason.
Furthermore, among the defenders there also appears the case of Lisandro Martínezwho left behind an injury in the medial collateral ligament of the right knee and when he returned to Manchester United he suffered a tear. This made him stay away from the courts much longer and lose rhythm.
Added to this is the operation of Enzo Fernandez due to an inguinal hernia, although the steering wheel seems to be optimal.
Scaloni, with a full squad
The coach of the Argentine National Team will have seven days to resolve this mystery. Because this Tuesday the last two players in the squad arrived at the Le Meridien hotel in Fort Lauderdale: Franco Armaniwho saved on Sunday for River in the Professional League, and Gonzalo Montielwho was a dad for the first time over the weekend and traveled after welcoming Thiago.
All those called up, then, will be monitored by Scaloni and company in practices and in friendlies against Ecuador (this Sunday in Chicago) and Guatemala (on Friday the 14th in Washington) to then decide how to cut out the three names and define the 26 responsible for defending the Copa América title.
