There was apprehension. There was also a faint possibility. But Giovanni Lo Celso's club Villarreal said yesterday that the Argentine midfielder will need surgery to repair the injury. It will take him about a month to fully recover.
In other words, Lo Celso's slim chance of playing in the World Cup in Qatar disappeared. Argentinian media reported that Lo Celso, who joined Villarreal on loan from Tottenham, is not going to Qatar with Messi.
Despite getting injured, this midfielder wanted to play for Argentina in the World Cup without surgery. That's why Lo Celso was willing to give up 2 months salary in the club. In the end it didn't happen anymore.
Lo Celso left the field with an injury in the 30th minute of the team's 1-0 loss against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga last Sunday. After the injury there were concerns about his performance in Argentina's first match at the World Cup. Meanwhile, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said that only those who can play from the first match will be kept in the team.
Although Lo Celso was in the 2018 World Cup Argentina team, the match was not played. He dreamed this time. Because he is an important member of Lionel Scaloni's Argentina team. He played an important role in the mission to bring home the title in Copa America in 2021. "There is no alternative to Lo Celso," Scaloni said in an interview a few days ago. But this time, Scaloni will have to find an alternative. Enzo Fernandez can be seen as a replacement.
However, the news agency Reuters has not received any official opinion from the Argentina Football Association (AFA) on whether Lo Celso can play in the World Cup. It has not been confirmed whether he has been left out of Argentina's World Cup squad. But the Spanish and Argentinian press reported that Enzo Fernandez or Ezequiel Palacios could be seen in Lo Celso's place. Lo Celso was in Argentina's initial 28-man squad.
Argentina's first match in Group C in the World Cup is on November 22, against Saudi Arabia. The other two teams in this group are Mexico and Poland.