COPA AMÉRICA
Argentina squad news for the Copa América
Lionel Scaloni’s squad continues its preparations at Inter Miami’s facilities for the upcoming competition between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF nations.
The Argentina national team were out training on Tuesday at the Florida Blue Training Center in Inter Miami as they gear up for the 2024 Copa América. Under the direction of Lionel Scaloni, the team received encouraging news regarding the competition that kicks off next Thursday, June 20. Germán Pezzella, who successfully completed his second consecutive training session, is looking fit for the tournament.
According to Gastón Edul of TyC Sports, the 32-year-old veteran defender is in good shape and is likely to be included in Argentina’s final squad. The Real Betis player, a key leader within the group, is crucial for his teammates and is expected to be a mainstay in the team’s defense as they aim to defend their title.
This would give Scaloni a fourth option in central defense, as the pairing of Nicolás Otamendi and Cuti Romero is the favorite to start, with Lisandro Martínez being an interesting third choice. The decision to include Pezzella might mean Leo Balerdi and Lucas Martínez Quarta could be among those cut from the final call-up.
Argentina wraps up its preparations with a friendly against Guatemala on Friday, so they will have sessions this Wednesday and Thursday before traveling to Washington. After the match against the Guatemala, the World Cup-winning coach will announce his official Copa América roster on Saturday, and three players will be disappointed.
Who might be cut from Scaloni’s squad?
With 29 players gathered for the preparatory matches, Lionel Scaloni needs to trim his squad down to 26, making it a good time to consider which players might be left out starting Saturday, June 15. In line with the defenders mentioned earlier, let’s discuss the other two who may also be excluded.
In addition to Martínez Quarta (Fiorentina) or Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Valentín Barco (Brighton) and Valentín Carboni (Monza) appear to be at a disadvantage with others looking ahead of them. For Barco, the left-back position is well-covered by Marcos Acuña and Nicolás Tagliafico; for Carboni, the Argentine attack is stocked with World Cup champions in top form, and Garnacho might be included since he’s not eligible for the Olympics.