Lisandro Martinez is set to make his first start at the World Cup - as Argentina turn to the Premier League to keep them in Qatar.
The South Americans are still reeling from the shock of losing their opening game against Saudi Arabia and now face a make-or-break clash with Mexico on Saturday. Coach Lionel Scaloni is set to bring Manchester United ’s £56.7million signing Martinez to reinforce his defence.
Martinez replaced Tottenham ’s Christian Romero after the Saudi’s had stunned the Argentine’s with two goals in five minutes at the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday. And Scaloni is now expected to stick with the change for the vital clash with Mexico.
Questions have been asked in Argentina why Martinez was left out of the opening game following his promising start at Old Trafford. He will partner former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi in central defence - and other changes are likely.
City’s 22-year-old striker Julian Alvarez is also in the frame to start the game after coming on as a substitute in the opening defeat. Alvarez has scored seven times for the champions after arriving from Rivar Plate in a bargain £21million deal.
And Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is another Prem star putting who has impressed in training and is straining to play. The Argentine public are clinging on to the fact that their nation’s last opening-day meltdown, when Diego Maradona’s defending champions were beaten by Cameroon, didn’t stop them reaching the final of Italia 90 before losing to West Germany.
And midfielder Alejandro Papu Gomez has urged the fans to stay behind the team. Gomez took to his social media account to say: “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations.”
Diego Maradona's son has taken aim at comparisons between his father and current Argentina star Lionel Messi after the Albiceleste began their World Cup campaign with a defeat.
"The comparison between Messi and my dad is made by those who don't see and don't understand football," Diego Maradona Jr. told Radio Marte (via Marca ). "We're talking about two different planets, but I don't want to immediately throw the cross at Lionel.
"I am devastated by this defeat," added the star's son, who was born in Italy but considers himself an Argentina fan. "I find it hard to believe that all this really happened.
"Losing to Saudi Arabia is crazy. They were quite scared. Football is like that. They come to you. Sometimes it happens that you lose even against much weaker opponents."
