Argentina will begin their World Cup campaign against Algeria at 7:00 am on Wednesday. Ahead of the match, one question is likely occupying the minds of Albiceleste supporters that who will be Lionel Scaloni’s first-choice No 9?
According to Argentine sports channel TyC Sports, Lautaro Martinez had long been the coach’s preferred option.
The reason was that Julian Alvarez had been struggling with an ankle injury. As a result, Scaloni relied on Lautaro in the warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland. Lautaro impressed against Honduras, scoring once and also setting up a goal for teammate Giuliano Simeone.
However, Alvarez’s return from injury has forced the Argentine coach to rethink his attacking plans. The forward has already resumed training with the squad.
Even so, it remains unclear who will ultimately lead the line in Scaloni’s starting XI. TyC Sports reports that if Alvarez passes his fitness test, he will likely have the edge in the coach’s selection plans.
Both forwards arrive in excellent club form. Playing for Atletico Madrid, Alvarez has scored 20 goals in 49 appearances. Meanwhile, Lautaro has netted 22 times in 41 matches for Inter Milan.
Alvarez has also proven himself on the World Cup stage. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he scored four goals and provided one assist in seven matches. Lautaro, on the other hand, failed to score in his only World Cup appearance, also in Qatar in 2022. He played six matches in that tournament without finding the net.
Who Scaloni ultimately places his trust in is now one of the key questions surrounding Argentina ahead of their World Cup opener.