Lionel Scaloni will use Saturday's friendly against Burkina Faso to test new faces in the Argentina national team. The manager confirmed he will make changes in defence and midfield to evaluate different players ahead of Lionel Messi's farewell match.
Scaloni outlined his plan on Thursday. "I could make some modifications in defence and midfield to test new footballers," the coach said. This approach follows the emphatic 4-0 win over Bolivia on Wednesday, a result that keeps the team top of their World Cup qualifying group with nine points.
Defence reshuffle
In defence, the left-back position is one of the most open. Román Vega started against Bolivia, but Facundo Medina is competing for that spot. On the right, Agustín Giay is an option, while Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez are set to be the centre-backs. In midfield, Nicolás Paz's strong performance, which included a goal and an assist against Bolivia, makes his replacement trickier, though Franco Mastantuono is pushing for minutes.
The attack will keep the duo of Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, who scored the opening goal on Wednesday. On the left wing, Gianluca Prestianni, Matías Soulé and Valentín Barco are the alternatives. The team is training with an eye on the upcoming friendlies schedule, which includes the key match against Benin.
Opponent context
The match against Burkina Faso marks the first-ever senior-level meeting between the two nations. The African side, managed by Amir Abdou, is ranked 62nd in the FIFA rankings and arrives after a draw and a win in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. Their young forward Aboubacar Camara, aged 19, is one of their threats.
For Argentina, this game is another step in post-World Cup preparation. With Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolás Otamendi reserved for the October 6th match, Scaloni is taking the chance to look deeper at his squad options. The match will be played on Saturday at 21:00 at the Estadio Monumental, with Emiliano Martínez in goal. Fans can follow the squad's development on the official squad page.
The original report is at TyC Sports
