Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is expected to be starting for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni will announce the final list for Qatar in the coming days and the 30-year-old is set to be one of the keepers in the squad.
The upcoming FIFA tournament will be the Aston Villa player’s first World Cup, and former Argentina keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri is of the belief his compatriot is likely to have an important role for La Albiceleste.
“He conveys to me that being a serious goalkeeper gives him the chance to play a very important role in the goal of the Argentina national team. He arrives at a good time with Argentina, he has been playing, something that is important, and we hope that things will work out for him,” Abbondanzieri told Télam.
“Martínez is sober, a serious person, I like the way he saves penalties and the movement in the area. He is positive and we have him in the goal of the national team.”
Argentina’s first clash is against Saudi Arabia on November 22nd, and Abbondanzieri is of the belief the Aston Villa goalkeeper will also have to prepared mentally for the World Cup.
“You can do all well, but a World Cup is different from the qualifiers or a friendly match. The first match is always complicated by nerves and anxiety. Reaching a week of the World Cup makes you have expectations, and you have a bad time with anxiety,” he warned.
“Now they play very often, but the boys are prepared, and you shouldn’t think about what happens before the World Cup and if it happens it’s a team with important names.”
Meanwhile, Atalanta’s Juan Musso could be one of the keepers trying to beat Martínez for a place in Argentina’s starting lineup.
The Serie A keeper has heaped praise on the Villans player when TyC Sports asked him to detail in what aspects he differs from the former Arsenal man.
“I can’t say. Dibu is very complete. I think the goalkeeper today needs to be to be ready for everything, like playing with his feet and cutting plays or crosses. He’s a good goalkeeper with a good physique. I also feel fit. That’s why I don’t like to compare,” Musso explained.
