MIAMI. Emiliano Martinez has confirmed he will be free from protective strapping for Argentina’s Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde on Friday, delivering a significant boost to the reigning champions as they begin their knockout campaign .
The Aston Villa goalkeeper has been managing a finger injury sustained during the warm up prior to Villa’s Europa League final victory over Freiburg, an issue that forced him to miss Argentina’s two pre tournament friendlies against Honduras and Iceland . Martinez was passed fit to feature in all three group stage victories against Algeria, Austria and Jordan, though he was required to wear protective covering on the affected finger .
Speaking after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Jordan, the 33 year old revealed that he can now remove the protection, having opted against surgery despite the severity of the injury .
“I can now play without a finger kit for the next game,” Martinez said, as relayed by Mundo Albiceleste. “I decided not to have surgery, I had a bad time. I came here very prepared, I still haven’t trained with the group, always with [Martin] Tocalli (Argentina’s goalkeeping coach).”
The goalkeeper acknowledged the mental toll of the injury, particularly when the prospect of surgery was raised. “On the pitch, I try not to suffer. When they told me I had to have surgery, millions of questions came to me, but the coach (Lionel Scaloni) supported me. He told me no matter the game, he would always support me.”
Martinez made only one save across Argentina’s three group stage matches, a reflection of their dominance rather than any limitation imposed by his injury. The goalkeeper’s ability to remove the protective strapping suggests he will be operating at full capacity as Scaloni’s side face a Cape Verde team who finished second in Group H behind the Netherlands .
Argentina hoping for Romero return
Argentina have reported no fresh injury concerns following the Jordan victory, though they continue to assess Cristian Romero’s fitness ahead of the knockout rounds . The Tottenham Hotspur defender sat out the final group game after being forced off in the 2-0 win against Austria with a knee issue.
According to Reuters, Romero is making progress in his recovery, though it remains uncertain whether he will be ready to start in Miami. Nicolas Otamendi is likely to partner Lisandro Martinez at centre back should Romero fail to prove his fitness in time .
The decision to rest Romero against Jordan, with Scaloni making 10 changes to his starting lineup, has ensured Argentina’s squad is largely fresh for the knockout phase . The defending champions, who defeated France in the 2022 final, are seeking to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back to back World Cups .
Cape Verde, appearing in their first World Cup knockout match, will present a formidable challenge. The Blue Sharks stunned Ghana and Turkey in the group stage before a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands, with their counter attacking style and defensive organisation posing a different test to the group stage opponents Argentina have faced .
For Martinez, the prospect of a deep tournament run now appears more attainable. Having been forced to adapt his preparations, he returns to full fitness at the most critical stage of Argentina’s campaign .
