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.
No need to push it. If we play at our level we should not miss him against Cape Verde.
I think Christian Romero must be rested against Cape Verde. He will be very important later stage of the tournament. Otamendi ok for Cape Verde match.
Also think taglafico need to be substitute in the 2nd half and replaced by Christian Medina since he just came back from injury.
Moreover lo celso might replace Rodrigo de paul in the 2nd half. I consider lo celso very important for the Argentina and at the moment prefer him over Paz because of lo celso experience, defensive ability & link up with messi.
If we impose our game on Cape Verde and don’t let them counter attack easily, then Otamendi is an asset with passing, distribution and aerial threat from set pieces. However, if they manage to break on a counter, his lack of pace can be a liability. We just need to make sure it does not happen.
We are doomed if Otamendi starts
Why so much negativity on otamendi.His aerial ability is second to none. Let’s hope for the best and during be ready for the upcoming matches.