Argentina’s Mix of Veterans and Youngsters: The Six National Team Players Left Out of the Bench Against Iceland

With Argentina set to fine-tune the final details before its World Cup debut against Algeria on Tuesday, the team will first face Iceland in a friendly in Alabama. The match is being used as one last test for Lionel Scaloni’s squad, but the bench will be noticeably short: six players will be unavailable for the encounter.

Three of the absences are World Cup winners, all for physical reasons. Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez is still recovering from a fracture in the ring finger of his right hand. Leandro Paredes is also sidelined after suffering a strain in his right hamstring. Nicolás Tagliafico, who started in the previous friendly against Honduras, will not even make the bench because of overload in his right calf.

The other three players left out are younger options, and their absence is a coaching decision by Scaloni. Simón Escobar, Tomás Aranda, and Joaquín Freitas had all been on the bench against Honduras, and Aranda and Freitas even made their debuts with the senior national team. Escobar, however, did not get on the pitch and will have to wait for another opportunity to earn his first appearance.

Despite those absences, Argentina’s lineup for the friendly against Iceland still features a mix of experience and youth as Scaloni continues to evaluate options ahead of the World Cup. The expected starting XI is Gerónimo Rulli; Agustín Giay, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Facundo Medina; Giuliano Simeone, Exequiel Palacios, Valentín Barco, Giovani Lo Celso; Nico Paz and José López.

The friendly in Alabama comes at an important moment for Argentina, which is in the final stretch before its opening World Cup match. The coaching staff is using the game to manage player fitness, avoid unnecessary risks, and give opportunities to emerging talents while keeping key figures under careful observation.

For the team, the focus is not only on results but also on readiness, balance, and squad depth. With several regular contributors either injured or being protected, the match against Iceland offers Scaloni a chance to assess how the group responds under pressure and how the younger players fit into the overall structure.

As the countdown to the tournament opener continues, Argentina is aiming to arrive in the best possible condition, with this last pre-World Cup test serving as a key step in that preparation.