[Saba Sports News] According to Argentine sports newspaper Olé, defender Leonardo Julián Balerdi Rosa felt unwell midway through a training session last Friday evening and had to leave early. Subsequent imaging tests confirmed a strain to his right soleus muscle, ruling him out of this World Cup.
The Argentine Football Association intends to call up Marcos Senesi as his replacement. Balerdi’s absence has dealt a notable blow to Argentina’s defensive line. The Marseille defender has delivered impressive performances in Ligue 1 this season. Capable of playing as left-back, right-back and centre-back, he is a versatile key player for the team. The defence already faces multiple concerns. Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are still recovering from injuries. First-choice centre-back Cristian Romero has returned to action for nearly 50 days but is yet to regain his peak form.
Under FIFA regulations, since Balerdi was named in the final squad, Argentina can finalize the substitution up to 24 hours before their opening match against Algeria. The replacement player must be selected from the previously submitted 55-man provisional list, and Balerdi’s injury also needs to be verified by the FIFA Medical Committee.
In my view, at 27, Balerdi is in his prime and has no history of severe injuries. A soleus muscle strain is a common injury and poses no threat to his playing career.