If Argentina are playing 442 and everyone is fit then the central defensive pairing is Cuti Romero and Nicolas Otamendi.
That’s just the way it’s been for so long that any potential change is considered to be big news. Otamendi may not have hit his highest heights during his Premier League spell at Manchester City, but he’s an undisputed legend for the Argentina national team.
And yet, tonight, in the country’s opening Copa America match against Canada, he could be benched for Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez.
There’s been gossip around that possibility for a few days, with Martinez now being fully fit and back to his brilliant best.
Thursday’s edition of Ole, Argentina’s biggest sport newspaper, says the Manchester United player could end the ‘historic trident’ of Romero, Otamendi and Emiliano Martinez.
Lisandro Martinez has been performing well in training, did well in a recent friendly, and is described as ‘superlative’ for the level he’s shown at Manchester United.
If you want to find out if he gets the nod, you’ll have to stay up late. With the Copa America 2024 being in the US, the kick-off times are even later and it’s 1am for Argentina v Canada.
