Giovani Lo Celso faces surgery and will miss World Cup

Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, a key member of the national side, will miss the Qatar 2022 World Cup after failing to recover from an injury, according to local media reports.

The 26-year-old, who plays for Villarreal of Spain while on loan from English club Tottenham Hotspur, will have to undergo surgery for a hamstring injury, multiple outlets said.

No official medical report has yet been released to confirm the information.

"I told Lo Celso, the first thing is health," said coach Lionel Scaloni when asked earlier this month if there was any possibility of the player joining the squad for the campaign in Doha.

Neither the Argentine Football Association (AFA) nor Villarreal have yet confirmed the midfielder's withdrawal from the squad.

Lo Celso's place in Argentina's 26-man squad is likely to be taken by Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios.

Scaloni is due to announce the final list of 26 players next Monday.

Argentina will open their World Cup campaign Saudi Arabia on November 22, before facing Mexico and Poland in Group C of the World Cup.

– TIMES/AFP