Cristian Romero and Angel Di Maria are both expected to be fit for Argentina’s quarter final match against Ecuador on Saturday.
Both Romero and Di Maria were left out of the Argentina squad for their 4-1 win against Bolivia due to fitness issues. According to reports coming out of Argentina, both will be available for the match.
Argentina are set to revert to a full-strength side after rotating the squad to rest several players against Bolivia.
That should see experienced centre-back Nicolas Otamendi return to the starting XI alongside young Ajax star Lisandro Martinez, who proved himself as a capable defender on the international stage.
Aston Villa ’keeper Emiliano Martinez will also come back into the XI, as well as left-back Marcos Acuna, having been two of the most important players in the first three games of the group stage.
Upfront, Lionel Messi will continue to be the key man in the attacking line, having hit three goals and two assists in four games in the group stage to take his tally to 75 international goals. Messi is in the news after his contract ended with Barcelona, making him a free agent.
He should continue to support frontman Sergio Aguero, who has led the line in the last two games after a slow start to the tournament.
Also on Saturday, Uruguay will face Colombia in the third quarter-final fixture.
The two teams secured their places in the last-8, finishing second and third in Group A and Group B, respectively. Uruguay fared a little better than their northern rivals, earning seven points with two wins and a draw.