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Argentina’s younger players are set to be given the opportunity to shine in their Copa America group meeting with Peru. The reigning champions Argentina secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition following their 1-0 win over Chile on Wednesday.
It offers the opportunity for head coach Lionel Scaloni to experiment with his side, and he is hopeful Argentina’s youngsters can seize the moment against La Blanquirroja.
“We are satisfied, and we can enjoy the days, and give the youngest ones minutes,” Scaloni said.
“I think it’s fair to have the players that did not have minutes get onto the pitch.
“Hopefully when we give them [young players] the opportunity, they will be able to seize it.”
La Albiceleste, however, will be without captain Lionel Messi, who will be rested ahead of the knockout stages of the competition after missing training on Thursday.
“I felt some discomfort in my right hamstring at the beginning of the game,” Messi said after the win over Chile.
“In the first play, my adductor got hard. I didn’t feel a tear, but I did find it difficult to move freely.
“It wasn’t as loose as it should’ve been. But I was able to finish the game. We’ll see how it goes.”
This will be Argentina’s 13th meeting with Peru at the tournament, with La Albiceleste recording a win and a clean sheet in their last two meetings at the Copa America (1-0 in 2004, 4-0 in 2007).
Should they emerge victorious, Argentina will have three consecutive wins against Peru in the competition for the first time since between 1927-1947 (W7).
A win will see them triumph in all of their group games for the third time this century. However, they will be hoping to rewrite history having finished runners-up in the two previous instances in which they achieved a 100% win rate in the group stage (2016 and 2007).