Emiliano Martinez Calms Argentina Injury Fears Ahead of Algeria Opener

Argentina’s World Cup title defense is set to begin in a few days against Algeria, and concerns briefly swirled around Emiliano Martinez after he injured a finger in Aston Villa’s Europa League final against Freiburg. The goalkeeper, one of the heroes of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win, had fans and media in the country watching closely to see whether he would be fit to play.

Alarm grew over the past few days after videos from Argentina training showed Martinez without gloves and with a bandage on his finger. The concern intensified on Saturday, when he was seen leaving a training session before it ended. That fueled fears that the national team’s first-choice keeper might not be available for the opening match of the campaign.

However, reports in Argentina suggested the situation is better than feared. TYC said Martinez was seen in the latest training session wearing both gloves and taking part in more intense drills than before, even standing in goal during practice. Despite some discomfort, the outlet said he appears likely to be fit for the match against Algeria.

Martinez also appeared to ease concerns himself in a training video from Saturday, when he was seen stepping off the pitch and giving a thumbs-up after being asked whether he would be ready. “Everything is fine, I have the best physio in the world,” he said, calming Argentine supporters.