Scaloni raises rest concerns as Argentina prepare for Egypt tie

ATLANTA: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has questioned the recovery time available to teams deep into the World Cup, saying the scheduling becomes harder rather than easier as the tournament moves into its knockout rounds.

The defending champions are coming off a draining last-16 match against Cape Verde, where they needed extra time to secure a 3-2 win on Friday. The additional 30 minutes in hot conditions in Miami left several Argentina players struggling physically, with Scaloni noting that many finished the game with cramp.

If Argentina reach the final, they will have to play five matches in 17 days. That workload also places further strain on 39-year-old Lionel Messi, who has made a strong start to the competition and has scored seven goals in Argentina's four victories so far. Despite having completed the full 120 minutes four days earlier, Scaloni confirmed Messi is available to start the next match.

Scaloni points to scheduling problem

Speaking at his pre-match press conference before Tuesday's game against Egypt in Atlanta, Scaloni said teams should be given more time to recover later in the tournament.