Scaloni Makes Late Defensive Changes as Senesi Joins Argentina
Argentina’s World Cup preparations have taken an early hit. Lionel Scaloni has lost Leonardo Balerdi to a serious muscle injury and turned to Marcos Senesi as his late defensive reinforcement.
Balerdi tore the soleus muscle in his right leg during training, a setback severe enough to end his tournament before it began. The injury forced Scaloni to rip up part of his original plan and improvise on the eve of the competition.
The coaching staff refused to rush the call. Scaloni parked any final decision until after a pre-tournament friendly against Iceland, using the game as a live audition to stress-test his defensive options and see how the pieces might fit without Balerdi.
Only once that “test” was out of the way did he move. Senesi, on standby and waiting for the phone to ring, finally got it. He has now been drafted into the squad and is travelling to Argentina’s camp in Kansas City, the latest name added to an already imposing Albiceleste back line.
The national team confirmed the diagnosis and the change of plans through social media and press conferences, laying out both the medical reality and the thinking behind the replacement.
“Defender Leonardo Balerdi suffered a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg and will not be able to be part of the squad that will play in the World Cup,” read the official statement.
Scaloni, speaking after the Iceland friendly, underlined how much the performance had shaped his choices: “Today’s test left me satisfied and cleared up many doubts regarding what the team might be lacking... Maybe I’ll take one or two more days to announce Balerdi’s replacement.”
The staff’s disappointment for Balerdi was obvious, but so was the care with which they approached the succession plan. No panic, no knee-jerk reaction. A measured process, then a decisive move.
For Senesi, the last 24 hours have been transformative. At 29, with just three caps, he is hardly a newcomer to elite football but remains a relatively fresh face on the international stage. Now his career has lurched forward again.
The former Bournemouth defender, who once rejected the chance to represent Italy, recently agreed a free transfer to Tottenham starting July 1. His World Cup call-up means he will now share a dressing room with future club team-mate Cristian Romero weeks before officially joining him in north London.
Senesi’s Argentina debut came in a low-key friendly against Estonia back in 2022. This time, the stakes are very different. He walks into a star-studded defensive unit, into a champion’s dressing room, and into a tournament where every mistake is magnified.
Balerdi’s misfortune has opened the door. Now the question is what Senesi does as he steps through it.
