The Argentina national team faced a significant setback during the 2024 World Cup qualifiers held in October as they grappled with a slew of injuries.

 

The Argentine squad found itself plagued by an injury crisis, resulting in Coach Lionel Scaloni being without five key players for the third and fourth matches of the South American Qualifiers. This unfortunate situation has left the team without the services of Juan Foyth, Paulo Dybala, Angel Di Maria, Lisandro Martinez, and Angel Correa due to their respective injuries.

 

Among the notable absentees, Angel Di Maria stands out. He sustained an injury during Benfica’s recent clash with Inter in the Champions League group stage, rendering him unavailable for the upcoming matches against Paraguay and Peru in October.

Angel Correa and Lisandro Martinez, who are typically regular fixtures in Scaloni’s squad, also find themselves sidelined due to injuries. Correa, the Atletico Madrid striker, is still in the process of recovering from a knee sprain. Although he participated in Atletico Madrid’s recent match, he did not feel fully fit, leading to the decision to prioritize rest and recuperation.

 

On the other hand, Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez underwent additional surgery for a right-foot injury, ruling him out of action for the remainder of 2023.

Two more players contributing to Scaloni’s absence list are Juan Foyth and Paulo Dybala. Foyth, the Villarreal defender, sustained a shoulder dislocation in the previous match. However, his absence is not solely due to this injury; he had only recently recovered from muscle discomfort, and the coach opted to provide an opportunity for Facundo Medina, a capable left-sided player.

 

As for Dybala, he suffered a severe knee injury during Roma’s 4-1 victory over Cagliari. TyC Sport later confirmed that this marked his fifth absence from the Argentina national team due to injury.