Premier League star asked to hold off on holiday plans just in case of a last-minute World Cup call-up
The World Cup squads are in, but there might be a big change for Argentina’s team, with one star being told to cancel his holiday plans.
Coach Lionel Scaloni took his time choosing the 26 players who will defend Argentina’s World Cup title in North America. He left out nine players who were part of the team when Argentina won their third World Cup in Qatar.
Scaloni explained the late announcement by saying, “We took all the time we had to check the players’ fitness and finalize the squad. After that, we won’t risk anyone in friendlies and will mix up the players we use.”
Several Argentine players are dealing with injuries, including captain Lionel Messi, who has been resting after muscle fatigue in his left hamstring during a recent game for Inter Miami. Messi is training alone but should be ready and aiming for his sixth World Cup.
There are still worries about a few players’ health, so Aston Villa star Emiliano Buendia has been told to put off his holiday, according to Argentina’s D Sports Radio. Buendia played a big part in Villa’s success this season, scoring 10 goals and making eight assists. The coaches want him to keep training in case he gets a call-up.
This could be a huge moment for Buendia, who has only played twice for Argentina and hasn’t appeared in a major tournament yet. He might be called up if any of the injured players can’t go.
Messi is one of three players not fully fit yet, along with Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes. Another player the team is watching closely is Nico Paz, a young star from Como who will return to Real Madrid this summer. Paz is on the squad but is still recovering from an injury.
Even though the deadline to submit squads has passed, changes can be made if players get injured or sick, so Buendia could get his chance.
Argentina will play friendlies against Honduras and Iceland before starting the World Cup group matches. Their first game is against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, followed by Austria in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, and they finish the group stage against Jordan, who are new to the tournament, on June 27.