Missouri, US, June 12: Argentina received a major boost ahead of its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez returned to full training following a finger injury.
The Aston Villa shot-stopper completed his first full training session wearing both gloves after recovering from a fractured ring finger on his right hand. Martinez sustained the injury on May 20 during the warm-up before Aston Villa’s UEFA Europa League final victory over Freiburg.
The 33-year-old had initially trained with a splint and a single glove during his recovery period and missed Argentina’s warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland. However, he is now expected to start in Argentina’s opening FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.
Martinez enters the tournament on the back of another impressive season with Aston Villa, helping the club secure a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and earning a place in the Europa League Team of the Season.
A key figure in Argentina’s recent success, Martinez played a pivotal role in the country’s triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper and won the Golden Glove award. He also helped Argentina lift the 2024 Copa America title.
Meanwhile, Argentina have called up defender Marcos Senesi as a replacement for the injured Leonardo Balerdi. The Argentine Football Association announced the change after Balerdi was ruled out of the tournament due to a calf injury.
Senesi, 29, joins the squad after an impressive spell with AFC Bournemouth, where he played a key role in the club’s sixth-place Premier League finish and historic qualification for European competition. The defender is set to join Tottenham Hotspur and has made three appearances for Argentina at the international level.
Argentina, the defending world champions, begin their Group J campaign against Algeria on June 16 before taking on Austria and Jordan in their remaining group-stage matches.