It’s been as good a return as possible for Manuel Lanzini following a devastating injury. And fittingly enough, he returns to the team where he suffered that brutal moment.
The West Ham United playmaker has been named into the Argentina national squad, for new manager Lionel Scaloni, for the CONMEBOL power’s friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco later this month.
It is a well deserved return to his country’s national team for the “Little Genie” that is Lanzini, who experienced the worst moment of his career with Argentina when he tore his right ACL during a practice a week before the World Cup.
Lanzini could have been a pivotal difference maker for an Argentina team that struggled to create chances in its first two games, almost missed advancing out of the group stage and was bounced from the World Cup by eventual champions France in the Round of 16.
That awful ailment has made Lanzini’s swift return to health even more impressive thus far, as he went a full 90 minutes unexpectedly last Saturday in the Hammers 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
Hopefully this time Lanzini does not suffer another physical nightmare.