Javier Aguirre has not named his XI for the final World Cup group game, and even the players do not know it yet. That uncertainty now sits alongside search interest in Scotland vs Brazil TV channel, with the selection call due tomorrow.
Javier Aguirre and Brian Gutierrez
He said he is calm about the 26-man squad and does not feel the squad changes when players come in and out. But he also drew a hard line around Brian Gutierrez and César Montes, treating both differently because of discipline issues.
“I’m very calm about the 26-man squad, very calm. I don’t know if the other team’s coach feels the same way, but for me, players come in and out and I don’t notice a difference. We don’t depend on just one or two players.”
“We lost César [Montes], obviously – an unfortunate play, a poor decision – and he served his suspension.He’ll surely be back. And regarding Brian [Gutierrez], you’re right, I’m going to manage him carefully because if he gets another yellow card, we’ll lose him, and we wouldn’t want that. Those are the two I’ve handled differently from the rest, more or less because of the card situation.”
Speaking in the XI for the
The selection picture is not just unsettled for Aguirre. “Well, anyone… anyone could play. In any case, you’ll find out tomorrow. No, even the players themselves don’t know yet because, you see, we actually mix things up a lot in training because there’s no difference. There’s coordination among everyone.”
That leaves the final World Cup group game open at the top of the roster, with the coach using training to keep options fluid rather than settle the XI early. The practical effect is straightforward: Brian Gutierrez must avoid another yellow card, César Montes is back after suspension, and no player can assume a starting role before tomorrow.
Jordan and Algeria
The same rotation logic is showing up elsewhere. Lionel Scaloni said there was one more match to be played that day between Jordan and Algeria, and that the idea was to give most of the players the opportunity to play whenever the match allowed. Mauricio Pochettino also said it was too early to talk about the decision against Turkey, while Julian Nagelsmann said the coaching staff and players would discuss changes for the Ecuador match but that he was not a fan of changing the entire line-up.
That is the shape of the round: coaches are protecting legs, managing cards and keeping the next lineup hidden until the final moment. For Aguirre, the answer comes tomorrow, and the only certainty is that the decision will land with the 26-man squad already in motion.
