Argentina striker Panichelli suffers serious knee injury

Argentina striker Joaquin Panichelli suffered an ACL injury to his right knee in training on Thursday, less than three months before he had hoped to play at the World Cup, the national team said.

The 23-year-old has only made one appearance for the World Cup holders but was in contention to play in Friday's friendly against Mauritania.

Panichelli is the leading scorer in France's Ligue 1 this season with 16 goals for Strasbourg, raising his hopes of a call-up for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, which starts on June 11.

But instead he now faces a long rehabilitation from a torn ACL for the second time, after rupturing the same ligament in his left knee in 2023.

Panichelli earned a last-minute call-up for the current international break from Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni after initially being left out of his 28-man squad.

Argentina will start their title defence on June 16 against Algeria, before also facing Austria and Jordan in Group J of the expanded 48-team tournament.

The news is a big blow for Strasbourg, who sit eighth in the Ligue 1 table, six points off a European spot, and will face Mainz in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals next month.