Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was forced off with an injury while playing for Argentina against Chile last week, but there has been some confusion as to whether the problem is a serious one.
After finding himself on the end of a hefty challenge, Lo Celso had to be substituted with what, at the time, was claimed to be a groin injury. After the game, he said (via Sky Sports): “My problem was only a blow, it is not something to worry about.”
But reports in Argentina (as relayed by Football London) have suggested the 23-year-old has already returned to Spurs for treatment and will miss his country’s next friendly against Mexico.
Lo Celso – who Mauricio Pochettino recently described as incredible (via NinetyMinutesOnline) – was still with his international teammates on Saturday, signing autographs for fans who had been watching the team train. The moment was caught on camera by the Argentine FA.
#SelecciónMayor Luego de la práctica, los jugadores de @Argentina, firmaron autógrafos? y se sacaron fotos ? con los hinchas ? pic.twitter.com/sbi82Xntob
— Selección Argentina ?? (@Argentina) September 7, 2019
So, has Lo Celso returned to Tottenham or not? It is possible he flew back to London after those photos were taken, and there is a good chance he will miss the Mexico game regardless of how serious his injury is – why bother risking him for a friendly?
If the injury rules him out of club fixtures, it will be a particularly frustrating situation for Spurs. Pochettino is always very careful when bedding new players in, but Lo Celso will be robbed of the opportunity to naturally adapt to English football if he is sidelined.
The Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini.
