Injured Argentine int'l keeper Franco Armani to miss upcoming friendlies

River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani has pulled a muscle in his right leg and will miss two upcoming Argentine national team friendlies versus Iraq and Brazil this month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the medical staff of his football club said.

Armani will be replaced by Guido Herrera, a player for another Argentine first-division team, Talleres de Cordoba, the South American nation's football federation said, reports Efe.

The goalkeeper injured himself during the second-half of River Plate's 3-1 victory on Sunday over fourth-division club Sarmiento de Resistencia in the quarter-finals of the Copa Argentina.

The two-time defending champion is the first team to advance to the 2017-2018 Copa Argentina, the latest edition of that annual cup competition.

River Plate head coach Marcelo Gallardo said in the post-match press conference that Armani had suffered the injury, and the club's medical team later confirmed the news and provided more details.

Armani was the starting goalkeeper in Argentina's final two games at the 2018 World Cup in Russia against Nigeria and eventual champion France. He also produced a clean sheet for the Albiceleste in its most recent friendly against Colombia on September 11.

Three other players called up by Argentine interim head coach Lionel Scaloni for the October 11 match against Iraq and the October 15 contest versus Brazil also will have to miss those games due to injury.

--IANS

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