Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni commented on Ángel Di María’s fitness at a press conference on Friday.

Lionel Scaloni spoke at a press conference on Friday and one of the topics he discussed was that of Ángel Di María. During Argentina’s 2-0 win vs. Poland, Di María was substituted out and appeared to be in discomfort. Reports came out that he has a muscle overload. When asked about Ángel Di María, here is what he had to say:

“Yesterday was a day of recovery for most, that’s why yesterday’s training was to analyze Australia. This afternoon’s training will give us a clearer picture. After practice, we will decide the team, according to Ángel’s progress and other players. If he is okay, he will play.

“Huevo Acuña was substituted out because he had a yellow but he is fine.”

Rodrigo De Paul spoke at a press conference on Friday about the Argentina national team and the World Cup.

De Paul was the Argentina player who was at the press conference and spoke to the media before the game vs. Australia on Saturday. He was asked about having different team mates next to him at the World Cup. Here is what he had to say:

“I Was comfortable with all of my team mates. When we train, we switch positions. You know how much I have players with Pardes. Enzo joined us very recently but he has done very well.”

When asked about the game vs. Australia:

“It will be a similar game to that of Poland where we will have the ball but they will have very fast players. The coverage will be important. When we are attacking, we also need to think about defense. It will be difficult for midfielders and defenders so that the attackers will be able to move around.

“I think they are a fast team. Focusing on the flank players, with tall players, tall center backs. And I think that we don’t have to foul near the area. They have very fast players and I think that a strong point, when they are counter attacking. We have to be careful about that part of the game and that area of the pitch.”

He was also asked about the loss vs. Saudi Arabia:

“Yes, we found ourselves in a situation we were not used to. It had been a while since our last defeat. That is where you see the character. It was a moment for us to rise, to bounce back. To understand that this was an isolated situation. There were no doubts in the locker room. We saw Germany out, Spain were nearly eliminated. These were hard days, yes.”

Regarding his play at the World Cup:

“The way I read the game is always based on how the team is playing. But I think I went from low to high, that is true. But now, I feel very well. The coaching staff are very supportive and playing all 90 minutes is very important for me. And physically, I prefer it. I am feeling well. The team is excited. My team mates are enjoying it. Not just those starting but those on the bench. Against Mexico and Poland, the team played well. We are responding well.”

About Lionel Messi, Ángel Di María and the veterans:

“They helped us a lot. They explained to us the meaning of the Argentina colors. They take on all the responsibilities. And we should too. The first World Cup for many of us. It’s good that we share the responsibility but they are the one’s leading us all and we are happy and thankful for all that they do.”

The officials have been named for Argentina vs. Australia in the Round of 16 at the World Cup.

Szymon Marciniak of Poland will be the referee for Saturday’s Round of 16 match. He was also the referee for Argentina vs. Iceland at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The assistant referee is Pawl Sokolnicki and the second assistant is Tomasz Listkiewicz, both are from Poland. The fourth official is Mario Escobar of Guatemala.

Tomasz Kwiatkowski of Poland is the referee for VAR with the VAR assistant Marco Fritz of Germany. Alessandro Giallatini of Italy is the offside VAR official and the VAR support is Benoit Millot of France.

Ángel Di María has a muscle overload but is not injured for Argentina.

Di María was substituted out by Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni during their 2-0 win vs. Poland. Di María looked to be in some discomfort and according to TyC Sports, he is in doubt for the Round of 16 game vs. Australia on Saturday.

Tests done on him have revealed that he has a muscle overload in his left foot and it remains to be seen if he will start vs. Australia as the coaching staff will wait until the last moment to decide.

Rodrigo De Paul spoke to the media about playing for the Argentina national team and Lionel Messi.

De Paul has been the only Argentine midfielder who has started all three games at the World Cup. Under a lot of criticism from certain fans regarding his performances at the World Cup, De Paul continues to improve. Speaking with TyC Sports, here is what he had to say:

“You always learn from the losses. At first, we found ourselves in a position that was unusual for us and we showed that we have a lot of character and personality.

“I am happy to wear the shirt of the Argentina national team. I love the country in which I was born in and I will always give more for this shirt. At times, things come off well and at times bad. But I will never hide. I’m never going to stop running. It’s who I am, which is what brought me here and it will always be like this.”

Regarding Lionel Messi:

“Messi is our captain, he drives the boat. Against Mexico, he opened the game and today, when he failed, we showed that we are behind him to support him.”