Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso sends message after injury ends World Cup dream
Giovani Lo Celso wasn’t seeing a lot of minutes at Tottenham Hotspur in recent months, which is why he was allowed to re-join Villarreal for the season.
There is no doubt that the 2022 FIFA World Cup would have been a factor behind the Argentine midfielder wanting more playing time – be it away from Spurs. He did play fairly regularly for the Yellow Submarine.
He scored once in 13 games across competitions this campaign but a torn muscle a couple of weeks ago meant that he will not be travelling with La Albiceleste to Qatar. Following the squad’s announcement for manager Lionel Scaloni’s team, Lo Celso posted a message on social media (h/t Fabrizio Romano):
It is heartbreaking to see Lo Celso miss out on a competition that he would have likely travelled to had he not picked up an injury. Spurs will have one player from their side representing Argentina at the World Cup, and that’s Cristian Romero.
Lo Celso’s situation is peculiar. He is a very talented midfielder with an eye for a killer pass – but he never seems to find favour for an extended period of time at Tottenham. Amidst all this, he has been a regular for Argentina.
Perhaps he just doesn’t suit English football or it’s just the case of bad timing with him. Manager Antonio Conte plays two rugged midfielders in his 3-4-2-1 formation.
Lo Celso cannot offer the same defensive workrate week in, week out as Pierre-Emile Hobjerg or Rodrigo Bentancur. But he can be a potent midfielder when we are in possession of the ball.
He hasn’t won over the hearts of the majority of Spurs fans since he joined us. His performances have left a lot to be desired at times. But this doesn’t mean his race at Tottenham is run.
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Hopefully, he recovers soon and has a good time at Villarreal before returning to N17. There is also the prospect of representing the Argentines in 2026 at the World Cup which should keep the 26-year-old motivated.