Argentina will resume their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign when they travel to Montevideo for Friday's clash against Uruguay.
The 2022 World Cup winners are sitting top of the standings with 25 points to their name, while Uruguay are five points further back in second position.
Match preview
Former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa has overseen 12 wins, five draws and four defeats since becoming Uruguay boss in May 2023.
Uruguay won four of their first six World Cup qualifying matches under Bielsa, although they have since lost a little momentum with just one win in their last six qualifiers.
With that said, La Celeste would have been satisfied with their efforts in the last international window in November, claiming a narrow 3-2 home victory over Colombia, before playing out a 1-1 away draw with Brazil, leaving them in second spot and seven points clear of seventh-placed Bolivia.
As a result, Uruguay are well on course to secure automatic qualification for next year's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Bielsa is now preparing to face Argentina for the fourth time in his managerial career, after previously competing against his native country on two occasions as Chile boss (W1, D1) and in the reverse fixture as Uruguay coach.
Back in November 2023, Uruguay claimed a 2-0 away win over Argentina thanks to goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez, with that result representing their first head-to-head victory since October 2013.
Argentina are sitting five points clear at the top of the standings after winning eight, drawing one and losing three of their 12 qualifiers.
As a result, La Albiceleste are set to continue their run of reaching every World Cup final since missing out on the 1970 tournament in Mexico.
While they will be pleased with their current position, the reigning world champions may have been underwhelmed with the fact they won just three of their six qualifiers following last summer's Copa America triumph in the USA.
All three of those victories took place on home soil, while they took just one point from their final three away games of 2024, meaning they have not won a World Cup qualifying away match since beating Brazil 1-0 in November 2023.
Argentina are now set to return to action for the first time since claiming a 1-0 home win over Peru in November, representing a third consecutive home win without conceding.
Messi provided the assist for the winner in that game, but Argentina will be without their talisman for Friday's contest after he was left out of Lionel Scaloni's squad due to injury.
La Albiceleste may have lost to Uruguay in the reverse fixture, but they can still draw inspiration from the fact they have won three of their last four matches against Friday's opponents, including a 1-0 victory in their most recent away meeting in November 2021.
Team News
Bielsa has made the unusual decision to name a 38-man squad for the next two matches against Argentina and Bolivia, meaning there is likely to be a whole host of players that have to settle for training time rather than getting any match action.
Man United midfielder Manuel Ugarte is among those selected, although he is suspended for Friday's game due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Araujo is set to make his first international appearance since July after missing Uruguay's last six qualifying matches through injury.
Liverpool's Nunez, who has admitted he is struggling form, will want to build confidence over the international period, with the forward hoping to score his first international goal since the second group game of last year's Copa America.
Meanwhile, Argentina's all-time record goalscorer Messi is sidelined with an adductor injury he sustained in Inter Miami's 2-1 win over Atlanta United on Sunday.
Scaloni is also having to cope without the services of Gonzalo Montiel, Giovani Lo Celso and Paulo Dybala due to injury.
Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez has been added to Argentina's list of absences after withdrawing from the squad with a hamstring issue.
In Messi's absence, Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa will be given the chance to wear Argentina's iconic number 10 journey in the next two games.
Uruguay possible starting lineup:
Rochet; Nandez, R. Araujo, Gimenez, Saracchi; Valverde, Bentancur; Pellistri, Aguirre, M. Araujo; Nunez
Argentina possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandez; Correa, Gonzalez, Alvarez
We say: Uruguay 2-1 Argentina
Uruguay have already beaten Brazil and Colombia at home in the current qualifying cycle, and with Argentina having to cope without the likes of Messi and Martinez, we think the hosts will make full use of a golden opportunity to claim all three points, especially as the visitors have lost two of their last three away qualifiers.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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