Scaloni's World Cup Plans Disrupted by Balerdi Injury and Senesi's Call-Up
Argentina’s World Cup preparations have been jolted by injury, reshaped by opportunity, and underlined by a manager who refuses to rush a single decision.
Lionel Scaloni lost defender Leonardo Balerdi to a serious muscle tear in his right leg during training, a setback that forced the coach to rethink his defensive blueprint on the eve of the tournament. The injury, in the soleus of Balerdi’s right leg, ended his hopes of featuring at the World Cup before a ball had even been kicked.
The Argentina national team confirmed the diagnosis and its consequences through social media and in front of the cameras, stating: “Defender Leonardo Balerdi suffered a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg and will not be able to be part of the squad that will play in the World Cup.”
Scaloni did not rush to plug the gap. He waited. He used the pre-tournament friendly against Iceland as a live laboratory, testing combinations, weighing profiles, and measuring who could truly handle the step up.
“Today’s test left me satisfied and cleared up many doubts regarding what the team might be lacking... Maybe I’ll take one or two more days to announce Balerdi’s replacement,” he said, laying bare the delicate balance between loyalty, form, and pure necessity.
The pressure finally told on the selection board. Marcos Senesi, long on standby and short on guarantees, got the call.
Senesi will now travel to the camp in Kansas City, drafted in to fill the void left by Balerdi and add fresh competition to a defensive unit already packed with pedigree. For the 29-year-old, it caps a whirlwind 24 hours that may reshape his international career.
He arrives with only three Argentina caps, but with a story that has already taken a few sharp turns. The former Bournemouth defender once rejected the chance to represent Italy, betting on his future with the Albiceleste instead. That bet now takes him to a World Cup.
Off the pitch, his club future has just been settled. Senesi has agreed a free transfer to Tottenham, effective July 1, a move that will see him join forces with Cristian Romero at club level as well as for the national team. The pair, soon to be team-mates in north London, now have the chance to forge an understanding in Argentina colours first.
This is not how Scaloni planned it. A trusted option sidelined, a standby promoted, a back line reshuffled in the final stretch. But tournaments rarely respect plans, and the question now is simple: can Senesi turn this late call into something permanent in an already star-studded Albiceleste defence?
