Emiliano Buendía of Aston Villa is in isolation and will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiying match.

Buendía will not travel with the Argentina national team to Chile for their World Cup qualifier. While he did not test positive, Buendía was in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID and is in isolation.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni stated during his press conference on Wednesday that he himself has tested positive for COVID despite recovering. He also mentioned that Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton has tested positive and will not travel.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni held a press conference on Wednesday where he spoke about the team and players testing positive for COVID.

Lionel Scaloni will not be able to travel with the team to Chile as he continues to test positive for COVID. As we reported, he, along with Alexis Mac Allister will not be with the team for their match against Chile on Thursday.

Scaloni spoke about it all on Wednesday. Here is what he had to say:

“Walter Samuel, Roberto Ayala and Diego Placente will be present as part of the Argentina national team. Alexis Mac Allister tested positive last night. He and Buendia, who was in close contact, will not be able to travel.

“I want to clarify that I feel well. I am cured but the PCR test keeps showing up positive. That is the problem. I am in a condition to be able to be there, what I can’t do is enter Chile.”

In regards to Lionel Messi not being selected:

“It’s obvious that we would love for Messi to be here. I spoke with him and he told me that COVID affected him a lot. It’s important that he gets well and that is why I decided that the best thing was for him to stay at his club.

“We have different options to replace what Leo does.”

He was also asked about the starting eleven:

“I have decided on the team but with everything that has happened, it’s impossible to announce it. They will get to Chile and do another PCR test and tomorrow we will have the results.

“We have to bring different playing alternatives. We believe that it could be a good moment to try other things. It will be a difficult match. Chile is a rival that knows what they wants. They didn’t get some results go their way and now they have to win.

“I hope that tomorrow we will be a well drilled team against a difficult opponent. That the players who are going to go out onto the pitch show that they are up to the task.”

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni and Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton have tested positive for COVID.

Lionel Scaloni and Alexis Mac Allister will not be travelling with the Argentina national team for their World Cup qualifying match against Chile. Coach Scaloni mentioned it at a press conference on Wednesday that they have both tested positive and they cannot travel.

Current laws in Chile require a negative PCR test to enter and both the coach and the player will not be with the rest of the team. This would be in addition to Pablo Aimar, who also tested positive.

Pablo Aimar has tested positive for COVID as he has left the Argentina national team.

The Argentina national team will be travelling to Chile on Wednesday evening and they will be without one of their coaching staff. In order to enter Chile, everyone must present a negative PCR test and one for Argentina returned positive. According to TyC Sports, Aimar is already in isolation.

Aimar was not present in Wednesday morning’s training session and will not be travelling to Chile for Argentina’s World Cup qualifying match.

Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martínez were the two up front for Argentina in the training on Tuesday.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni held a training on Tuesday and with no Lionel Messi in the team, all eyes on who will be in the starting eleven in place of the Ballon d’Or winner. Lionel Messi isn’t the only big name absentee as Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur was also rested for the two World Cup qualifiers due to injury.

Lionel Scaloni went with Lisandro Martínez in place of Romero and decided to play Paulo Dybala with Inter’s Lautaro. According to TNT Sports, here was the eleven in training:

Emiliano Dibu Martínez; Molina, Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Acuña; Di María, De Paul, Paredes, Lo Celso; Dybala and Lautaro.

Dybala started the 1-0 win vs. Uruguay in November when Lionel Messi started that match on the bench and it could be that Scaloni decides to start him once more. Argentina play Chile on Thursday in their first of two World Cup qualifying matches with a match against Colombia on February 1 at home.