Breaking: After Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez withdraws from Argentina Squad - What is the Reason?

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Argentina's squad for the upcoming South American World Cup Qualifiers has suffered a significant blow, as Lionel Messi will be unavailable due to injuries.

While Messi was already ruled out due to his ongoing recovery, another Argentina star has now joined the list of absentees.

Argentina will take on Uruguay on March 21 at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo before hosting Brazil at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on March 25. These matches are critical in shaping the qualification campaign, with Argentina currently leading the standings with 25 points.

But ahead of the crucial match, Los Albicelestes will be missing key striker Lautaro Martinez.

Why is Lautaro Martinez out for Argentina?

Lautaro Martinez is not going to participate for Argentina due to a muscle injury on his left hamstring.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed that Martínez, who had been dealing with discomfort during recent matches for Inter Milan, underwent medical tests that revealed a mild muscle tear.

"Forward Lautaro Martínez will be unavailable for this March international break due to a muscle injury in his left hamstring," the AFA stated in an official update.

With two key attacking figures missing, head coach Lionel Scaloni must reassess his attacking setup for the crucial fixtures against Uruguay and Brazil. Martínez, who recently found the net against Atalanta in Serie A, had been training separately from the squad at the Ezeiza training facility.

To compensate for his absence, Scaloni is likely to deploy Manchester City's Julian Álvarez as the primary centre forward. Other attacking options include Nicolás Gonzalez and Thiago Almada, while Scaloni may also consider a tactical shift to strengthen the midfield or implement a different forward setup.

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho can also be a potential replacement for Martinez in the attacking role. Although the reigning World Cup champions are in a decent position at the World Cup qualifiers, they won't be complacent as a minor hiccup can change the dynamics in the table.