[Saba Sports News] On the joyous occasion of captain Lionel Messi’s 39th birthday, the Argentina national team held an afternoon training session in Kansas City to prepare for their final Group J World Cup fixture against Jordan. Having already secured top spot in the group, Argentina took a relatively relaxed approach to the session. However, the absence of Cristian Romero raised concerns.
The centre-back suffered a blow to his right knee in the match versus Austria and will be rested as a precaution ahead of the Round of 32. Though the Tottenham defender sat out group training, his injury is not considered severe for the time being, and he has not undergone imaging scans. The knee that took the impact is the same one where he previously sustained an LCL sprain during the Premier League, which once sparked worries among fans and the coaching staff. Nevertheless, after further evaluation, the team sees no cause for alarm and plans to sideline him for recovery purposes.
One positive sign emerged during the Austria game: Romero did not signal to come off voluntarily; it was Lionel Scaloni who made the call to withdraw him for protective reasons. Romero is now working to regain full fitness to be ready for the knockout stage clashes.
In my view, Romero’s absence from training is essentially a strategic precaution adopted by Argentina after clinching first place in the group. The move aims to avoid a recurrence of his old injury and guarantee he hits the knockout rounds in peak condition.