(Reuters) – Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has asked European clubs not to field any of his players who are not fully fit in league matches before the World Cup in Qatar.
Argentina will be without midfielder Giovani Lo Celso due to a muscle injury suffered playing for his club Villarreal and they are sweating on the fitness of defender Cristian Romero and forward Paulo Dybala.
“The reality is that we are talking to the clubs so that those (players) who are not at 100% do not play their match with the club…. We have been working to see if they can release them but it’s difficult,” Scaloni told Argentine television from Qatar on Wednesday.
“There will be some (players) who, as a precaution, will not play the last few games, but we know that they are fine and that it is a decision thinking more about what’s coming (World Cup) than anything else,” Scaloni added.
Sevilla’s Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli did not call up internationals Alejandro Gomez and Marcos Acuna for Wednesday’s LaLiga clash against Real Sociedad.
Scaloni said he will evaluate “the physical conditions” of his players before announcing his 26-man squad for Qatar.
Argentina begin their World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22. They will also face Mexico and Poland in Group C.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, additional reporting by Ramiro Scandolo in Buenos Aires, editing by Ed Osmond)
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