Argentina’s biggest injury concern ahead of the knockout stage is still Cristian Romero. The defender is continuing his recovery after suffering a knock to his right knee during the win over Austria and remains a doubt for Friday’s Round of 16 match against Cape Verde at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

At the moment, Romero’s chances of playing are still uncertain. His situation will be evaluated day by day, and it will be important to see if he can train with the rest of the squad on Monday and Tuesday.

The concern came because the pain appeared in the same knee where the Tottenham defender had previously suffered a ligament injury earlier this season. That immediately worried Argentina’s coaching staff and supporters.

However, the news has become much more positive over the last few days.

Romero did not play in Argentina’s final group-stage match against Jordan as a precaution. The coaching staff decided not to take any risks and wanted to give him extra time to recover before the knockout rounds.

During the Austria game, Romero was seen on the bench with ice on his knee, which caused concern among fans. But after further checks, Argentina believes the injury is not serious.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni also gave a positive update.

“Cuti is doing well. He has not trained with the group yet, but he is working separately and doing intense exercises. Right now, it looks less serious than we first thought, and that gives us peace of mind,” Scaloni said.

Inside Argentina’s camp, there is optimism that Romero will be ready for Friday’s match. Still, the coaching staff will continue to monitor him during the remaining training sessions before making a final decision.

If Romero is not fully fit, Scaloni will not take any chances. In that case, veteran defender Nicolás Otamendi is expected to return to the starting lineup.

The Argentina national team have scored seven free kick goals at the World Cup.

Giovani Lo Celso and Lionel Messi both scored free kicks for Argentina in their 3-1 win against Jordan, making it seven free kicks scored for Argentina. Luis Monti scored Argentina’s first free kick at a World Cup in 1930 against France.

Ernesto Belis scored four years later at the 1934 World Cup against Sweden. Miguel Brindisi would score for Argentina at the 1974 World Cup against Brazil.

At the 1982 World Cup, Daniel Passarella would score for Argentina against Italy. Lionel Messi would score his first free kick at the World Cup in 2014 against Nigeria.

Lo Celso and Messi would score the two free kicks against Jordan. Lionel Messi has two free kick goals for the Argentina national team at the World Cup, the most scored by an Argentine player.

Nico Paz spoke about playing at the World Cup with the Argentina national team and following in his father’s footsteps.

The father of Nico Paz, Pablo Paz, played at the 1998 World Cup with the Argentina national team. Nico Paz started for Argentina in their 3-1 win against Jordan at the World Cup. Speaking to Diario Olé after Argentina’s win, here is what he had to say:

“It’s incredible, to be able to follow in his foot steps is a source of pride for me. He’s helped me a lot in my life, he’s given me advice and today, he told me to stay calm, to enjoy it. And that in the end, it’s a unique situation that many people would love to be in. That’s why I enjoyed it so much.”

Emiliano Martínez gave an update on the injury to his finger.

Martínez arrived to the World Cup with the Argentina national team with a fractured finger. He has played in all three of Argentina’s matches at the World Cup and speaking to Diario Olé after Argentina’s 3-1 win against Jordan at the World Cup, here is what he had to say:

“I can now play without a finger kit for the next game.

“I decided not to have surgery, I had a bad time. I came here very prepared, I still haven’t trained with the group, always with Tocalli.

“On the pitch I try not to suffer. When they told me I had to have surgery, millions of questions came to me but the coach supported me. He told me no matter the game, he would always support me.”

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about Lionel Messi after the team’s 3-1 win against Jordan at the World Cup.

Lionel Scaloni spoke at a press conference after the team’s 3-1 win where he commented on the team, the match against Jordan and the match against Cabo Verde. At the same press conference, Scaloni spoke about Lionel Messi, who was substituted into the match and scored. Here is what he had to say:

“I spoke with Leo and we both agreed that him being substituted into the match in the second half was the best thing for today, that shows what he means to the group.

“About Leo, I see what you all see. It’s even uncomfortable for me because he’s left me speechless.

“He chose today to think about his team mates who are getting minutes rather than those numbers that so many people talk about to boost his record. That says a lot about what his team mates and the Argentina national team mean to him.”