Scaloni's Late Defensive Shake-Up: Senesi Replaces Injured Balerdi
Argentina’s World Cup preparations have taken an abrupt twist. Lionel Scaloni has lost Leonardo Balerdi to a serious muscle injury and turned to Marcos Senesi as his late defensive reinforcement.
Balerdi tore the soleus in his right leg during training, a setback severe enough to end his tournament before it began. The incident forced Scaloni to rip up part of his carefully drawn plans on the eve of the competition.
The coach refused to rush the decision. He parked any announcement until after Argentina’s pre-tournament friendly against Iceland, using the game as a live laboratory to test shapes, partnerships, and cover options at the back. The pressure of that 90 minutes went beyond the scoreline; it would help decide a World Cup place.
Only once that audition ended did Scaloni move. Senesi, on standby and waiting in the wings, received the call to fill the gap and is now heading to the Albiceleste camp in Kansas City.
The Argentina camp made no attempt to hide its frustration at losing Balerdi, but underlined how carefully they approached the replacement process. The national team confirmed the diagnosis and the subsequent selection plan through social media and press briefings, stating: “Defender Leonardo Balerdi suffered a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg and will not be able to be part of the squad that will play in the World Cup.”
Scaloni then lifted the curtain slightly on his thinking. “Today’s test left me satisfied and cleared up many doubts regarding what the team might be lacking... Maybe I’ll take one or two more days to announce Balerdi’s replacement,” he said, leaning on the Iceland encounter to guide his final call.
Those doubts have now been resolved in Senesi’s favour, capping a whirlwind spell for the 29-year-old. He owns just three senior caps, yet his career has suddenly accelerated on two fronts.
The former Bournemouth defender has already agreed a free transfer to Tottenham starting July 1, a move that will drop him straight into the intensity of the Premier League. Before that, he now walks into a World Cup dressing room packed with established names, including future club team-mate Cristian Romero.
Senesi’s story with Argentina began back in 2022, when he made his debut against Estonia. That same player once turned down a call-up from Italy, backing his belief that a path with the Albiceleste would eventually open.
It has. In the harshest way for Balerdi, but with a huge opportunity for Senesi, Argentina’s defensive puzzle has been reshaped on the fly. The question now is simple: can the late arrival turn a sudden chance into a lasting place in one of world football’s most competitive back lines?
