That expanded field means Argentina is already well on its way to a World Cup return, but the table is tightening up. Brazil have recovered after a slow start, while Colombia and Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay are dangerous but have had hiccups and Bolivia had won three in a row to thicken the plot in the race for the final

Martínez had been dealing with a muscle problem, missing Inter's Champions League match against Feyenoord. Despite scoring against Atalanta, further assessment confirmed the hamstring injury. His absence will require the coach to implement significant changes to the team’s strategy.