Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has revealed Lisandro Martinez remains “uncomfortable” with a foot issue and continues to be assessed.
The Manchester United defender came off in the second-half of the defeat to Arsenal, with Harry Maguire introduced in his place before Jonny Evans also brought on in the closing stages.
Erik ten Hag was unsure about the severity of Martinez’s issue after the match, with the 25-year-old swiftly flying out of the UK to join up with his Argentina team-mates for the international break.
The road to the 2026 World Cup starts for Argentina over the next week, as they take on Ecuador and Bolivia in qualifying matches.
Providing an update on Martinez’s injury situation, Scaloni stated in his press conference that the centre-back is unlikely to be used against Ecuador on Thursday night, but could return in time to face Bolivia next Tuesday.
“Licha, as you know, had an issue with his feet,” Scaloni said.
“By the way, he had surgery a while ago. In the last game he was in pain, went out for precaution. They have done studies and he’s well. He’ll be with us if we want to risk him or not. It’s an uncomfortable situation and we have other team-mates who can replace him well.
“It’s not necessary that we risk him. In any case, if he’s available, we’ll evaluate whether to use him or not. At first, for [the Ecuador] match, it’d be a little rushed, we’ll see for the second match.”
