adminArgentina have received a major fitness boost on the eve of their World Cup semifinal clash with England, as Lionel Messi, Cristian Romero, and Leandro Paredes have all been cleared to play.
The reigning champions scraped past Switzerland in a dramatic quarterfinal, with Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez striking in extra time to settle a wild encounter. Argentina looked to be cruising when Alexis Mac Allister headed them ahead inside ten minutes, but Dan Ndoye’s stunning second-half equaliser forced the game into added periods.
Scaloni’s side have made heavy weather of the knockout rounds, having narrowly avoided upsets against Cape Verde and Egypt in earlier ties.
According to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, the combination of extreme heat, long-distance travel, the expanded 48-team format, seasonal fatigue, and two extra-time outings is now “taking its toll” on the squad.
Romero and Paredes both required substitution during extra time against Switzerland, while other players reportedly raised concerns over niggles.
Captain Messi, meanwhile, took a heavy knock to his right eye after a collision with Granit Xhaka midway through the second half and was later pictured touching the area in visible discomfort.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner emerged bloodied from the incident and received on-field attention from Argentina’s medical staff.
Despite those scares, the outlet claims Argentina have received “good news” following their gruelling night in Kansas City, with no player finishing the match injured. Romero and Paredes are said to have come off purely “exhausted” but “without any physical issues,” while any discomfort Messi felt subsided quickly as the game wore on. All three are now expected to be included in Scaloni’s matchday squad for Wednesday’s highly anticipated semifinal against England at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
However, only a small portion of the squad took part in Sunday’s first-team training session, held just 24 hours after the Switzerland win, as Scaloni carefully manages player workloads. “We are going to recover, which I think is what we need and is the most important thing,” the coach told reporters after the quarterfinal. Only substitutes from Saturday’s game – and those who stayed on the bench – participated in the session, while the starters watched from the sidelines. The squad will train again at their Kansas City base before flying to Atlanta, where their first practice is set for Tuesday.
England have their own fitness concerns heading into the showdown. Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa both experienced physical issues during the Three Lions’ quarterfinal win over Norway. While Rice had been battling a sickness bug before that match in Miami, manager Thomas Tuchel suggested his halftime withdrawal was partly tactical. “We made life complicated for ourselves, and we had some players struggling with the heat,” Tuchel said after the final whistle. “Ezri Konsa was one of them – cramps in his hamstring – and with Declan, we decided to go more offensive at halftime. It was a bit of an attacking shift.”
Tuchel explained he made the call when trailing 1-0 and didn’t want to reverse it, even after the equaliser, believing it sent the right signal to push higher against Norway’s deep block. “We put on Ebs [Eberechi Eze] and Bukayo [Saka], so we had to take Dec or Elliot [Anderson] out.”
The German also revealed Rice had spent “most of the time in bed” in the lead-up to the match. “Knowing that Declan struggled after the last three days… I knew he could not survive 90 minutes,” Tuchel added. “I also knew there could be 120, so I didn’t want to waste another change.”
England’s semifinal showdown with Argentina is set for Wednesday, 15 July at 20:00 BST in Atlanta. Remarkably, should he take the pitch, Messi will face the Three Lions for the first time in his entire international career.
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