Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has been forced to withdraw from the Argentina national team due to a knee injury, after confirming he played through pain in the match against Aston Villa.
Garnacho has been a key player for Erik ten Hag this season, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists in 11 appearances across all competitions. This achievement puts him level with Marcus Rashford among Manchester United’s top scorers for the 2024/25 season.
Garnacho’s impressive performances have earned him regular call-ups to the Argentina national team. He was one of 27 players selected by coach Lionel Scaloni to face Venezuela and Bolivia in the South American World Cup 2026 qualifiers during this FIFA international break.
However, instead of joining the national team, Garnacho will remain in Manchester after being forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. He confirmed this in an Instagram post, admitting that he had been playing through pain in Manchester United’s last two matches.
“I’ve had knee issues in the last two games and unfortunately can’t join the national team, but I hope to recover quickly and be back for the upcoming matches,” Garnacho shared on his Instagram story.
Coach Scaloni has called up Facundo Buonanotte to replace Garnacho. In an official statement, the Argentine Football Association cited the injury to Garnacho’s left knee as the reason for his withdrawal.
The statement read: “Alejandro Garnacho has been ruled out of the squad due to a left knee issue. Facundo Buonanotte has been called up for the October international matches.”
Garnacho has made 7 appearances for Argentina, with his latest appearance in the 3-0 victory over Chile in September. Despite Garnacho’s sudden withdrawal, coach Scaloni is not overly concerned, as he still has plenty of attacking options for the October matches, including Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, and Julian Alvarez.