Argentina have been handed a significant boost ahead of their World Cup semi-final showdown against England, with Lionel Messi, Cristian Romero and Leandro Paredes all passed fit to feature. The holders survived an almighty scare versus Switzerland to reach the final four, with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scoring in extra-time to settle a thrilling quarter-final.
Fitness concerns after Switzerland match
Messi and Co had initially looked set for a comfortable victory after Alexis Mac Allister broke the deadlock with a header in only the tenth minute, but Dan Ndoye ensured the match went the distance with a stunning equaliser midway through the second half. The 2022 champions have not made life easy for themselves in the knockout rounds, only narrowly avoiding upsets against Cape Verde and Egypt in their two previous contests.
According to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, the heat, the travel, the extra match of this year’s 48-team World Cup, the general wear and tear of the season, and the two extra-time periods are all ‘taking their toll’ on Lionel Scaloni’s squad. Tottenham defender Cristian Romero and Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes both had to be replaced in extra-time against Switzerland and ‘other players raised concerns about potential injuries’.
Messi's eye injury treated on field
Argentina’s captain and talisman Messi received a heavy blow to his right eye following a challenge from Granit Xhaka midway through the second half and was pictured feeling the area, showing signs of discomfort. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was left bloodied by the collision and was seen receiving on-field treatment from Argentina’s medical staff.
However, it’s claimed Argentina have been given ‘good news’ following their marathon meeting in Kansas, with no player finishing the match injured. The report states that both Romero and Paredes came off ‘exhausted’ but ‘without any physical problems’, while any pain Messi had been feeling quickly subsided as the minutes passed. As it stands, all three players are expected to be named in Scaloni’s matchday squad for Wednesday’s eagerly anticipated encounter with England at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Scaloni manages workload
Only a small section of Argentina’s squad were involved in first-team training on Sunday, 24 hours after their defeat of Switzerland, with Scaloni taking a careful approach with players’ workload. ‘We are going to recover, which I think is what we need and is the most important thing,’ the Argentina head coach told reporters at his post-match press conference.
Only the substitutes who came on in Saturday’s quarter-final – and those who remained unused – took part in the session, and those who started against Switzerland watched on from the sidelines. Argentina’s squad will train again at their Kansas City training base before making the trip to Atlanta, where they will hold their first practice on Tuesday.
England's own fitness issues
England have fitness concerns of their own to worry about in the lead-up to their meeting with Argentina, with both Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa experiencing physical issues in the side’s quarter-final win over Norway. But while Rice had been suffering with a sickness bug prior to Saturday’s match in Miami, Thomas Tuchel claimed the Arsenal midfielder’s withdrawal at half-time was partly tactical.
‘We made life complicated for ourselves, and we had some players struggling with the heat,’ the England manager said shortly after the final whistle in Miami. ‘Ezri Konsa was one of them, cramps in his hamstring and with Declan, we made the decision to go more offensive at half-time. It was a bit of an offensive shift.’
Tuchel revealed that Rice had spent ‘most of the time in bed’ in preparation for England’s encounter with Norway. ‘Knowing that Declan struggled after the last three days, he was most of the time in bed, I knew he could not survive the 90 minutes,’ Tuchel added. ‘I also knew there was the possibility of 120 so I didn’t want to waste another change so I made the decision to take Declan out to avoid another change further on.’
Historic clash ahead
England’s eagerly anticipated semi-final encounter with Argentina takes place in Atlanta on Wednesday, 15 July at 20:00 BST. Remarkably, Argentina superstar Messi will line up against the Three Lions for the first time in his international career should he take to the field in Atlanta.
