“Things are very clear here” - Lisandro Martinez on who will replace Lionel Messi as Argentina captain during World Cup qualifiers
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was quizzed about who will lead Argentina during the current international break in the absence of Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami sensation was left out of the roster to face Chile and Colombia in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers in an attempt to aid his recovery from injury.
As a result, there are question marks over who will be leading the side in the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's absence. Speaking to Directvsports about this, the 26-year-old central defender said (via United in Focus):
"Things are very clear here. Our captain is Leo. That is already a matter of course. These are issues for Scaloni and who he is going to put in, but there is no ego struggle or anything like that."
"We just come here, enjoy ourselves, laugh, and work with total seriousness, and whoever is chosen, well, welcome to the team."
Martinez will be expected to play a key role in defense, having made 23 appearances for Argentina before this, bagging a goal in the process. La Albiceleste will first be up against Chile on Thursday (September 5), after which they face Colombia next Tuesday (September 10).
Currently, Lionel Scaloni's men are sitting on top of the World Cup Qualifiers standings, two points clear of second-placed Uruguay. Apart from Messi's leadership, his team will surely miss his presence on the pitch.
The 37-year-old has played 187 matches across competitions for Argentina, bagging 109 goals while having lifted the World Cup once, along with other trophies.
Lionel Scaloni addresses number 10 conundrum in Lionel Messi's absence for Argentina's World Cup Qualifiers
Lionel Scaloni was asked who will sport the number 10 shirt in the absence of Lionel Messi during the current international break. Claiming that Angel Correa has worn the jersey in Messi's absence before, the coach said the same would continue.
However, he didn't have an answer to who will be taking on the number 11 shirt from Angel Di Maria, who recently announced his retirement from international football. Speaking at a press conference, Scaloni said (via Mundo Albiceleste):
"When Leo wasn't here, Angel Correa wore it. The 10 has an owner, it's not a problem. The number 11 doesn't have an owner right now."
Correa isn't a sure-shot starter for Argentina and has made 25 appearances across competitions for the country to date. In those games, he's bagged three goals without registering an assist.