Rodrigo De Paul Out vs. Uruguay – Will He Be Fit to Face Brazil?

Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul will not be present this Friday in Argentina's classic encounter against Uruguay, for the 13th matchday of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The midfielder felt a very slight muscular discomfort during the last practice, and the coaching staff decided to rest him to avoid worsening the situation.

The good news for the Albiceleste is that the Atlético de Madrid player does not have a serious injury and is expected to be fit for next Tuesday's clash against Brazil, as reported by La Nación. Additionally, being on the brink of a yellow card suspension, another booking would rule him out of the next match, so his absence is also due to a tactical decision.

With this absence, Lionel Scaloni will rework his lineup, possibly with a 4-5-1 formation. Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, and Thiago Almada or Leandro Paredes would take up the midfield. Giuliano Simeone and Nicolás González would be the wingers, while Julián Álvarez will lead the attack.

La Albiceleste comes into this match as the leader of the qualifiers with 25 points. Uruguay, second with 20, will aim to close the gap at the Centenario with a nearly full squad. In the last meeting between the two national teams, La Celeste surprised the reigning world champions with a 2–0 victory in Buenos Aires, thanks to goals from Araújo and Darwin Núñez.