Overview
- The AFA announced Saturday that Leonardo Balerdi suffered a right soleus muscle injury and has been removed from Argentina’s 26-player World Cup squad.
- Head coach Lionel Scaloni has said he demands a minimum level of fitness and will choose a replacement from the 55-player preliminary list ahead of the FIFA deadline 24 hours before Argentina’s first match.
- Marcos Senesi is the most-cited candidate in media reports to take Balerdi’s spot, though other prelisted defenders such as Lucas Martínez Quarta and Germán Pezzella remain eligible.
- Argentina will continue its U.S. friendly schedule, starting with Juan Musso as goalkeeper against Honduras, using those matches to test players’ fitness and finalize selections.
- Separately, South American club activity continues to accelerate with Rosario Central’s president Gonzalo Belloso backing coach Jorge Almirón and sanctioning Carlos Quintana, Sporting Cristal parting with coach Zé Ricardo and pursuing Hernán Barcos, and Nacional probing Unión’s goalkeeper Matías Mansilla.