Franco Mastantuono facing Argentina chop ahead of World Cup despite no concern over Real Madrid youngster's fitness

According to a report from AS, Mastantuono is at risk of missing out on a place in Argentina's final World Cup roster. The 18-year-old forward joined the national camp at the Lionel Messi training complex in Buenos Aires at the end of a difficult debut season in Madrid that saw him make 23 appearances. While his physical fitness is exemplary, a place on the plane to the tournament is far from assured. Ultimately, should the youngster be left out, his omission will stem strictly from the manager's tactical blueprint rather than any underlying injury concerns.

The technical staff are carefully evaluating every preliminary player ahead of the weekend deadline. Addressing the selection dilemma, Scaloni said: "We still have some doubts that we’ll resolve in the coming days."

He later emphasised that the ultimate criterion for surviving the impending squad reduction remains "the players' performance, that they arrive in top form". Consequently, Mastantuono's potential exclusion would be a purely tactical decision.

Opinions are divided within the Argentine Football Association regarding the forward's immediate international integration. The player remains on the list of alternatives alongside Emi Buendia, Matias Soule and Agustin Giay, waiting to see if any injured squad members drop out.

Mastantuono’s tournament hopes hinge on dynamic fitness tests for injured trio Nahuel Molina, Nico Gonzalez and Gonzalo Montiel. Should any of these squad members fail their specialised assessments, tactical openings will emerge before Scaloni finalises his roster for the upcoming challenges ahead. The reigning champions desperately need their squad fitness sorted before kicking off their world title defence in Group J against Algeria, Austria and Jordan.