Mauro ICARDI and Lautaro MARTINEZ are currently with the Argentina National Team but trained differently from the rest of the group.
Inter Argentina coach Lionel SCALONI has already started with the training sessions but the the Nerazzurri duo did not train with the rest of the team. As we reported a few days ago, both players are doubts for the Albiceleste’s friendly matches against Guatemala and Colombia.
Tests will be done on both ICARDI and MARTINEZ to see the severity of their injuries and if they would be able to take part in the matches.
Make Paredes or Tagliafico the captain
If Romero or Icardi not play
Intriguing indeed… such has been our deep seated dependence and reliance on the old hands that the team looks a complete overhaul. Cautious optimisim because granted these are still a new bunch of players raw and being put to play together… new manager (we’re unsure of his status even – interim?), new coaches, new captain, new players. It better not be same old performance and results. Show us that we are past and should move on from the previous batch. And please don’t forget about developing the pipeline and continuity.
Asensio – 21 goals – 10 assists Angel Correa – 17 goals – 21 assists in the last two years
It’ll be the biggest change of the national team over the past 15 years, I guess in the starting 11, Tagliafico will be the only player that played regularly during the world cup(Acuna only 1 game, Pavon sub, Lo Celso and Dybala 0 minute, still a mystery). I haven’t seen such radical change with any national team or club. Now, the question is to know who will be the leader on the pitch. Assume that Romero will be the captain, still need a technical leader(ideally a midfielder) to be the proxy of the coach. If Lanzini is recovered he may be a great candidate. Now I really don’t see who.
After 2010 France had similar experience and it took them 4 years to be decent, 6 years to be good and totally 8 years to be the world champion. So no matter the outcome of this game, be patient, long long road. Don’t look back to Aguero, Di Maria, Higuain if the new players didn’t do well.
Has a stand-in-captain been anointed? (incase Sergio Romero is unable to play?)