Argentina have called up Tottenham Hotspur defender Marcos Senesi to replace injured Leonardo Balerdi on their 26-player World Cup roster, ESPN reported, citing confirmation from the Argentina national team.
Senesi is set to join Argentina at their World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri, before the defending champions open Group J play against Algeria on June 16.
Balerdi Injury Forces Argentina Roster Change
Balerdi was ruled out of the tournament because of a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg. Argentina confirmed the injury on social media and wished the defender well, according to ESPN.
The timing leaves manager Lionel Scaloni making a defensive adjustment just days before Argentina begin their World Cup campaign. Argentina are grouped with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Scaloni used Argentina's pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland to assess his options before finalising the replacement. ESPN quoted Scaloni as saying the test had left him satisfied and had cleared up doubts about what the team might still need.
Senesi Heads To Kansas City Base
Senesi now enters the 26-player squad as Argentina prepare in Kansas City. The call-up gives Argentina another left-footed defensive option and brings in a player with prior national-team experience, though not a long competitive resume.
Senesi received his first Argentina call-up before the 2022 Finalissima. During the same international window, he was also called up by Italy, which he was eligible to represent through descent.
He chose Argentina, made his debut days later in a friendly against Estonia and has since added further appearances. ESPN noted that he played the full 90 minutes in Argentina's 1-0 win over Venezuela on Oct. 10 last year, with his most recent appearance coming against Mauritania at La Bombonera on March 27.
Tottenham Move Adds Club Context
The call-up arrived during a busy stretch for Senesi. ESPN reported that it had been confirmed Wednesday he will join Tottenham on a free transfer when his Bournemouth contract expires on July 1.
That move means Senesi will join Cristian Romero as part of Tottenham's Argentinian representation at the World Cup. For Spurs, it also gives one of their incoming defenders a high-profile summer assignment before he formally joins the club.
For Argentina, the immediate concern is simpler: replacing Balerdi without disturbing the squad's defensive balance before Algeria. Senesi's task is to get to Kansas City, settle quickly and give Scaloni a usable option in a tournament that leaves little time for late arrivals to ease in.