Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has stated that he cannot guarantee the availability of midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria for his team's FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter-final against the Netherlands.
De Paul is in doubt with a right hamstring strain while Di Maria is recovering from a quadriceps problem that forced him to miss La Albiceleste's 2-1 victory over Australia in the round of 16, reports Xinhua news agency.
"In principle, De Paul and Di Maria are fine," Scaloni told in a news conference ahead of Friday's match at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
"I can't say if they are going to play or not. It's strange that (journalists) know that something is happening because yesterday's training was behind closed doors. I don't know where this information comes from."
Di Maria was replaced by Papu Gomez in the round of 16 match against Australia and will likely start against the Dutch should the Juventus winger not recover in time.
De Paul's absence could pave the way for the return of Leandro Paredes or Guido Rodriguez to Argentina's starting lineup.
Will Take Decisions Based on Plans: Lionel Scaloni
"Today we have the last training session and we will see how everyone is," Scaloni said. "We will make the decision based on how we want to plan the game and those who are fit to play will play," Scaloni said.
Di Maria and De Paul are not Scaloni's only injury concerns. Earlier on Thursday, it was revealed that Lautaro Martinez was taking painkilling injections to allow him to play at the World Cup.
According to Alejandro Camacho, the Inter Milan striker, who is yet to score in the tournament, is battling an ankle problem.
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