Argentina downhill towards Russia 2018
Jorge Sampaoli adds another setback in the preparation of Argentina ahead of the premiere in Russia against Iceland, next June 16. This time it was not in the offices- Tuesday the friendly match before Israel scheduled for this Saturday was canceled- but in the field. The news was worst for the technician of the Albiceleste. West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini misses the World Cup.
Lanzini tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee while training this morning at Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper. Diego Perotti (Rome), Enzo Pérez (River), Leandro Paredes (Zenit) and Erik Lamela (Tottenham) are the names that are managed in the heart of Hotel Sofia, where Argentina concentrates, to replace Lanzini, who was shaping up as a starter in the debut against Iceland. The player formed in River was of the first names that appeared in Argentina since Sampaoli took the control in Ezeiza.
A breath of fresh air for a selection in which the players summoned were repeated, no matter who was seated on the bench (seven technicians passed in the last 10 years). He debuted in the senior team in the friendly against Brazil last year and repeated to Singapore in the first two duels with Sampaoli as coach. However, he had disappeared from the team. Until the last tour of the Albiceleste last March. Lanzini convinced the coach in the victory against Italy (he scored one of the two goals of Argentina). "Manuel played a very good game," said the coach at the time. "Lanzini is well associated with Messi in attack and also gives us balance in the midfield," praised the Argentine coaching staff. As the athlete had convinced Sampaoli and Messi, he had earned his place in the starting formation. But in field 7 of the azulgrana sports city, his knee cracked.
"It was the typical situation in which a player breaks alone. He got stuck ", explanations come from the Argentinean Federation (AFA). "We do not have a lot of time to meditate on the decision. We have several options, "they say from the Argentine team. "I have a lot in some positions and very little in others," Sampaoli have said, in a petit committee, in the Manchester tour. And the main problem for Sampaoli is the midfield. The coach is missing players who can weave the game in the midfield, to free Messi to be near the rival area. "If Messi goes down a lot to look for the ball, then he has a lot of ground to cover. We have to avoid that situation ", they explain from the group of the Albiceleste. Lanzini was one of the partners that Leo was looking for. Now, Sampaoli has a new-old dilemma. In a poll carried out by TyCSports, where more than five thousand vote has been casted, the favorites are the following: Enzo Pérez (33%), Leandro Paredes (17%) and Lautaro Martínez (15 %).