SPAIN MAY STILL BE ABLE TO FIELD ALEJANDRO GARNACHO DUE TO ARGENTINA'S DECISION NOT TO PLAY HIM

After failing yet again to make Argentina's World Cup squad due to injuries to two of the 26-man squad, Manchester United wonderkid Alejandro Garnacho has responded. In a controversial post on social media, Alejandro Garnacho appears to have liked a claim that the Manchester United midfielder failed to make Argentina's World Cup squad again because he is Spanish. Having made his way into Erik ten Hag's first-team squad, Garnacho's stock is at an all-time high. In the weeks leading up to the Premier League break, the 18-year-old wonderkid made a significant impact at Old Trafford. He even scored the winning goal in the mid-season finale against Fulham last weekend. Garnacho's outstanding form, coupled with the injuries suffered by Nico Gonzalez and Joaquin Correa, had led to speculation that he might be selected for Lionel Scaloni's World Cup squad of 26.

Garnacho has been overlooked by Scaloni for the second time in a row after being excluded from Argentina's first squad. He has instead called out Atlanta United's Thiago Almada and Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. Garnacho now appears to have made his feelings on the decision very clear on social media following that decision. "They didn't summon Garnacho because he's Spanish," said a tweet about Garnacho, who was born in Madrid and played for Spain's under-18s three times.

Even though Garnacho 'unliked' the tweet, his interaction was captured by eagle-eyed followers and has since gone viral. The Manchester United manager Ten Hag hinted earlier this month that even though Garnacho might be disappointed he missed out on the opportunity to travel to the World Cup, he may not be able to take advantage of a potential trip with Scaloni's side at this stage of his development. Asked how Garnacho's chances of being selected for the World Cup were, Ten Hag stated, "Going to a World Cup is a big step. In this tournament, the best players from all over the world come together." Nevertheless, Ten Hag expressed skepticism that this would be the right step for Garnacho. He had to keep his head clean, remain calm, work hard, and develop, going from game to game."

In spite of this, the Dutchman paid high praise to the United youngster, who arrived at Manchester United from Atletico Madrid's youth system in 2020. During last weekend's press conference, Ten Hag stated that he was pleased to have brought Garnacho to our team, and it proves that when players deserve it, they will receive it. The first one is good, but we need more. He is a great player. I like the fact that he has a lot of belief and that makes him a pleasure to work with. He is a fan of football. In my experience, he has proven to be a real pleasure to work with."

Despite being a Spanish citizen, Garnacho remains eligible to represent both Spain and Argentina in international competitions. After beginning his career in the youth ranks at Getafe and Atletico Madrid, he moved to England when he was 16 years old. He has already represented both countries at the junior international level, first for the Spanish Under-18 team and then for Argentina's Under-20 team. However, he still has the option to switch his international to Spain from Argentina if he so desires.

By Rashmi Goel