Argentina dealt double blow ahead of crucial qualifiers | OneFootball

Argentina have been dealt a double blow after the withdrawals of Lautaro Martinez and Paulo Dybala from their squad to face Uruguay and Brazil this month.

The world champions face two crucial qualifiers against their rivals, as La Albiceleste look to secure their place at next summer’s tournament.

Argentina are already without Lionel Messi, who was not included in the squad. Messi has been struggling with discomfort during the opening weeks of the MLS season, as club side Inter Miami manage his fitness. In addition to their captain, Argentina will now be without two other attacking options.

Lautaro Martinez has pulled out due to ‘muscular discomfort’. The Inter Milan striker won the Golden Boot as Argentina lifted the Copa America last summer and has netted 11 times in his last 16 appearances for the South Americans.

He is joined on the sidelines by Dybala, who is expected to miss the rest of the campaign. The Roma star will undergo surgery on a ‘very rare’ thigh issue.

Argentina’s withdrawals leaves Lionel Scaloni short of options in the final third. Of the current squad, only Julian Alvarez (11) has reached double figures for goals. The second-highest scorer in the current set-up is veteran centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, with seven goals.

Argentina travel to Uruguay tomorrow evening before a meeting with arch-rivals Brazil on March 26th. The World Cup holders are currently five points clear in South America’s qualification phase, with six games to go.

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