Colombia and Argentina will face each other in the last of each side's international friendlies this week, with both teams heading into the fixture off the back of recent wins.
The two South American giants will clash in New Jersey on Tuesday evening that could mark the start of a new era preparing for the next Copa America, with either side sporting interim managers and Argentina having reshuffled their squad following a last 16 exit from the World Cup this summer.
There is no Lionel Messi in Lionel Scaloni's side after the Barcelona superstar admitted that he is uncertain about his future with the national team, prompting call-ups for both Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala up front in his stead.
| Game | Colombia v Argentina |
| Date | Tuesday, September 11 |
| Time | 1am BST / 8pm EST |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game will be shown on beIN Sports 3 and livestreamed through beIN Sports Connect.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN Sports 3 | beIN Sports Connect |
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Colombia players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ospina, Arboleda |
| Defenders | Arias, Murillo, Sanchez, Tesillo, Palacios, Borja, Lucumi, Machado |
| Midfielders | Cuadrado, Quintero, Barrios, Uribe, Cuellar, Benedetti, Campuzano, Villa |
| Forwards | Falcao, Bacca, Muriel, Chara, Diaz, Morelos |
David Ospina, Davinson Sanchez, Juan Cuadrado, Radamel Falcao and Juan Quintero are all due to start following the win against Venezuala, where head coach Arturo Reyes fielded an experienced side.
Bayern Munich star James Rodriguez will be unavailable for the friendly as he is still recovering from the calf injury picked up during the World Cup.
Potential Colombia XI: Ospina; Palacios, Sanchez, Murillo, Borja; Uribe, Barrios, Cuellar; Cuadrado, Quintero; Falcao.
| Position | Argentina players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Romero, Armani, Rulli |
| Defenders | Tagliafico, Bustos, Pezzella, Acuna, Mori, Kannemann, Saravia, Franco, Di Placido |
| Midfielders | Paredes, Martinez, Meza, Ascacibar, Battaglia, Lo Celso, Cervi, Vazquez, Vargas, Palacios |
| Forwards | Icardi, Correa, Simeone, Dybala, Pavon |
Juventus striker Dybala has joined up with the squad after missing the first international friendly against Guatemala due to personal reasons, while veterans such as Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain are all missing from the team.
Dybala and Icardi are expected to lead the line against Colombia, with both of them yet to score a senior international goal.
Potential Argentina XI: Armani; Bustos, Pezzella, Mori, Tagliafico; Battaglia, Lo Celso; Meza; Martinez, Dybala, Icardi.
Betting & Match Odds
Argentina are priced at odds of winning 27/20 according to bet 365, while a draw is available at 21/10. A win for Colombia is up for 11/5.
Match Preview
Getty
Both Colombia and Argentina will be heading into the fixture following wins against South American opposition, with the former registering a 2-1 victory against Venezuela and La Albiceleste winning 3-0 against Guatemala.
Argentina will be forced to play without an array of veteran players in Messi, Higuain and Aguero but it is arguably Colombia ruing the more substantial loss following the resignation of head coach Jose Pekerman following the Russia finals after seven years in his post.
Colombia interim manager Arturo Reyes has visibly reshuffled his Colombian side, selecting just nine players from the 23 that he called up to the World Cup.
Within the current squad, however, Reyes still has some evidently experienced players to pick from, and will be inclined to select a strong side – as the fixture would be integral to their preparations for the Copa America.
Icardi is expected to have a role against Colombia after being left out of Jorge Sampaoli's World Cup squad.
On Messi's future with the national side, Scaloni stated: "We already talked about it. I think it's clear, we spoke with him and we'll see on the next list if he comes back or not.
"I don't think it's justified to speak about him now, the day before a match.
"I'm sure we'll see what happens in the future."
