Ahead of the World Cup, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has given supporters a little cause for concern, and a photo taken on the flight to Kansas has revived those worries.
The image, shared by Lisandro Martínez, shows the goalkeeper sitting with a bandage on one hand, smiling — taken 11 days after he fractured a finger.
Martínez had broken a finger on his left hand before the Europa League final. He played the final anyway and won the title with Aston Villa. After the injury was confirmed, the club and the Argentina national team drew up a plan involving keeping the hand still, special exercises and avoiding extra risk before the World Cup.
Most of the Argentina players had set off for the United States earlier; Martínez and Lisandro left later and joined the squad in Kansas.
Under the plan, Martínez will not play Argentina’s pre-World Cup warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland, as part of his recovery schedule. The single aim is to be fully fit for the first match against Algeria at the World Cup, which begins on June 11. Coach Lionel Scaloni’s staff are monitoring every step of his recovery.
There is said to be no concern so far over his availability for the start of the tournament — and the smiling photo of Martínez on the plane seems to say he is ready for whatever lies ahead.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report