A Tottenham Hotspur player has received a shock World Cup call-up just an hour before the tournament officially gets underway.
Nine Spurs players were initially named in the World Cup squads for their nations, and that number could have been higher if not for injuries to the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski.
The number of Tottenham representatives at the tournament became 10 when Andy Robertson was officially confirmed as a Spurs player last week.
That number has now gone up again as another Lilywhites defender has now been asked to get on the next flight to North America.
Tottenham’s newest addition Marcos Senesi is going to the World Cup
Spurs announced the arrival of Marcos Senesi on Tuesday, with the centre-back completing a free transfer to N17 after four years at Bournemouth.
The 29-year-old has expressed his determination to win silverware with Tottenham, but he now has the chance to win the biggest trophy in football before the campaign gets underway.
Senesi has been called up to Argentina’s 26-man squad at the last minute to replace the injured Leonardo Balerdi, with the former Cherries star now set to play a part in the Albiceleste’s title defence.
Why Senesi’s call-up could be bad news for Spurs and De Zerbi
The fact that the new Tottenham signing is a last-minute replacement for Lionel Scaloni’s men means he is unlikely to get many minutes at the World Cup.
That is good news for Spurs, as Senesi will be fresh and fully fit at the start of the season, but his call-up could mean he joins a bit later for pre-season.
De Zerbi would have ideally wanted his summer signings to be working with him from day one of pre-season to get adjusted to his tactical ideas.