Argentina Manager
Jorge Sampaoli is reportedly planning changes for his team’s crucial match
against Nigeria in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
Sampaoli,
who has come under immense pressure as the two-time world champions risk an
early exit from the Russia 2018 World Cup following their 1-1 draw against
Iceland and a 3-0 defeat by Croatia, has
been putting his players through their paces experimenting on a 4-3-3 formation
without much reliance on Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
The South
Americans who arrived in Russia as one the favourites need a win over Nigeria
to reach the second round.
The former
Chile coach Sampaoli, was let down by his Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero’s
two high-profile errors against Croatia at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Thursday,
is set to drop the veteran keeper in favour of his understudy Franco Armani of
River Plate.
Argentine
daily sports magazine Ole published a picture revealing Sampaoli’s starting
X1 against Nigeria at their training
base in Bronnitsy on Saturday.
In the
picture, the scribbles on the notebook showed two seven-a-side teams facing
each other, excluding Messi.
According to
reports in the Argentine media, other players likely to be dropped for the
clash by the 58-year-old are Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, Roma
midfielder Lucas Biglia, and Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Acuna.
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