Gabriel MERCADO and Nicolas OTAMENDI start
The official line-up is out for Argentina. Here’s the starting eleven:
ROMERO; MERCADO, OTAMENDI, FUNES MORI, ROJO; BIGLIA, KRANEVITTER, BANEGA; MESSI, AGUERO and DI MARIA.
Gabriel MERCADO starts at right back ahead of Pablo ZABALETA and Nicolas OTAMENDI is fit enough to start ahead of his Manchester City teammate Martin DEMICHELIS.
Sergio AGUERO, as expected, starts ahead of Gonzalo HIGUAIN in attack.
Rumored Argentina line-up
The following is the rumored line-up for Argentina tonight against Chile:
ROMERO; ZABALETA, DEMICHELIS/OTAMENDI, FUNES MORI, ROJO; BIGLIA, KRANEVITTER, BANEGA; DI MARIA, AGUERO and MESSI
It looks as if Tata has decided to start Sergio AGUERO ahead of Gonzalo HIGUAIN. The only question mark is the fitness of Nicolas OTAMENDI. If OTAMENDI can’t start the match, it will be Martin DEMICHELIS alongside FUNES MORI.
The match kick-off is at 7:30pm Eastern (New York time).
Paulo DYBALA out for Argentina
Paulo DYBALA will not take part in Argentina’s World Cup Qualifying matches as he has left the squad due to injury.
DYBALA will be flying back to Italy and won’t even be traveling with the team to Santiago, Chile. He now joins Enzo PEREZ, Nicolas GAITAN and Javier PASTORE on the players who will be missing Argentina’s next two World Cup Qualifying matches.
Updated list of injuries for Argentina
Javier PASTORE and Nicolas GAITAN are both officially out for Argentina.
The injuries just keep adding up for Tata MARTINO. But there may just be some light at the end of the tunnel. Despite all the injuries, only three players are “officially out” for Argentina. Those three being Enzo PEREZ, Nicolas GAITAN and Javier PASTORE.
Nicolas OTAMENDI, Mateo MUSACCHIO and Paulo DYBALA are all still with the team and haven’t been ruled out for the matches. The most positive of the three appears to be OTAMENDI as there are rumors that he might even be ready to play against Chile.
