Julian Alvarez Replaces Lautaro Martinez? Scaloni's doubts ahead of Argentina-Austria
June 22, 2026 · Global
The Argentine national team is preparing to face Austria in the World Cup, with coach Lionel Scaloni still considering the position between Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez in the front line.
The Argentine national team has undergone a training session at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center located in Kansas City, just two days before the match against Austria. This match is part of the second match in Group J of the 2026 World Cup. Coach Lionel Scaloni is finalizing the details regarding the line-up that will be fielded next Monday in Dallas.
One of the main focuses is the progress of Gonzalo Montiel, who has been training with his teammates and has the opportunity to sit on the bench. However, Scaloni still has two doubts regarding the same formation as the opening 3-0 win against Algeria. One of them is Thiago Almada's position, which may be replaced by Nicolás González.
Another possible change is in attack: Julián Álvarez has the chance to replace Lautaro Martínez. The Inter Milan captain started on his Albiceleste debut against Algeria, as Julián Álvarez had an ankle problem, which now appears to have been resolved. The Atletico Madrid striker is favored to be the main choice in this tournament, provided he is in good physical condition, although in the end his performance in training and on the field will be decisive. Lautaro will try hard until the last minute to convince his coach, but he has also shown his ability to score despite coming off the bench in the last Copa America.