Cristian Romero has stepped up his recovery by returning to on-field training, the Argentine Football Association confirmed on Friday, though the defender remains unlikely to feature in Argentina’s final Group J match against Jordan on Saturday.
Romero was forced off in the 57th minute of Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria on 22 June with a knee injury, having only recently returned from a similar problem sustained in April. He had since been restricted to individual gym work under the supervision of the team’s physiotherapists before rejoining pitch sessions.
Nicolas Otamendi is expected to continue in his place at the back.
Argentina held their final training session ahead of the Jordan match in Kansas City on Friday, with Romero absent from the 15 minutes open to the media. The squad began with a video review of Jordan before moving through gym work and onto the pitch, where coach Lionel Scaloni oversaw tactical drills while his assistants focused on set pieces, specifically free kicks and corners.
With Argentina already confirmed as Group J winners, the Jordan game carries little riding on it. The priority for Scaloni will be keeping his squad fit and fresh ahead of the knockout rounds.
