Such is the hectic calendar of world football, Gerardo Martino’s Argentina squad have this week been training in Ezeiza ahead of the one and only friendly against Bolivia on Saturday before the Copa América starts in a shade over a week without captain Lionel Messi, vice-captain Javier Mascherano and Juventus pair, Carlos Tevez and Roberto Pereyra. All four will be involved when Barcelona face the Italian champions in the Champions League final on Saturday and on the same day La Selección will be fine-tuning preparations against Bolivia in San Juan. In their absence, Tata Martino works with those he has available and gives a glimpse of a potential starting eleven.

It is not the ideal preparation for the Copa América to be without your key players until just before the first match of the tournament but presumably both Messi and Mascherano will go straight into the starting eleven in their familiar positions. In training this week, Martino used the following eleven:

Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Garay, Martín Demichelis, Marcos Rojo; Éver Banega, Fernando Gago, Javier Pastore; Ezequiel Lavezzi, Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María

Given the players missing it is likely that the midfield and attack will be changed but at least Martino appears to be favouring the 4-3-3 that Argentina used under Alejandro Sabella and the defence looks similarly familiar. The back four and goalkeeper Sergio Romero were the same that played in the World Cup Final and the only change to that is likely to be Nicolás Otamendi who was introduced for Demichelis and later got minutes playing with both Garay and Demichelis. Martino earlier in the week described Otamendi as ‘one of the top five central defenders in the world’ and so it looks more likely that the in-demand Valencia defender will be a starter.

Later in the practise, Martino did give Mariano Andujar some playing time and switched Milton Casco for Zabaleta but the likelihood is that this was just to give them minutes in the side for familiarity rather than a serious challenge to the regular starters.

Gonzalo Higuaín and Facundo Roncaglia worked separately as they had arrived later than the rest of the group but based on the recent friendlies Martino looks to favour Sergio Agüero in the number nine role. Another player missing who is likely to command a place in the starting eleven is Lucas Biglia. The Lazio midfielder was being assessed by the medical staff after straining knee ligaments and sat out training. The 29-year-old should be fit for the start of the tournament and if so is the player most likely to line-up alongside Javier Mascherano. Should Biglia miss out then either Fernando Gago or Éver Banega will take the role.

The only likely change to the starting three in attack will be Lionel Messi in place of Ezequiel Lavezzi. Martino prefers Ángel Di María as one of the attacking three rather than the midfield three as Sabella had opted for and with El Fideo to the left of Agüero it would leave Messi to take his role on the right of that attack.

More will be garnered from Saturday’s match against Bolivia but in truth an Argentina side without Messi and Mascherano is a very different side. Argentina begin their Copa América against Paraguay in La Serena on June 13th before playing Uruguay on the 16th and finally Jamaica in Viña del Mar on the 20th.