Marcos Rojo withdraws from Argentina squad

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo will not be involved in Argentina's upcoming international fixtures against Ecuador and Paraguay after the Argentina Football Association granted him permission to stay in England while he recovers from a recent hamstring injury. A statement from the AFA, translated by the Guardian, reads thus:

"Marcos Rojo will not be part of the squad for the qualifying debut against Ecuador and Paraguay, as he is in the final phase of recovery from a grade 1 injury in his right hamstring," read a statement from the AFA on Monday.

"Louis Van Gaal, the Manchester United coach, was in touch yesterday afternoon with Argentina coach Gerardo Martino to explain to him the convenience of the defender finishing his recovery in the club.

"The situation was understood by the Albiceleste trainer, who will hope to have Rojo in top condition for the second qualifying double-header against Brazil and Colombia, in November."

Clearly, this is a good and sensible decision from all involved, and will hopefully mean a quicker recovery for the United defender. With the idea of Daley Blind playing at centre-back for the long haul having been totally discredited over recent matches, it may be time for Rojo to return to the position in which he performed reasonably well last year.