There will be no Lionel Messi for Argentina and no Neymar for Brazil in two decisive rounds of South American World Cup qualifying. Ahead of games against tough rivals, coaches Lionel Scaloni and Dorival Júnior are still wondering who will replace their stars.

Along with Lionel Messi, another key player for Argentina will miss the World Cup Qualifying matches against Brazil and Uruguay. The World Cup Qualifiers resume this weekend, with Argentina are scheduled to face two of their biggest rivals,

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.