No Veron, but not yet time for Chelsea target Pastore

Diego Maradona today confirmed the devastating and truly shocking news.  

Suffering from a calf injury, Juan Sebastien Veron will not be risked for Argentina against South Korea on Thursday.  Gulp.

Could things possibly be any worse.......ok, ok, I've overplayed things a bit.  I just hope El Diego realises the dent he's put in this correspondent's fantasy football team.  Calf injury?  Listen, if he can stand up, he's in......grrrrr.

That's the main news regarding La Albiceleste this evening ahead of Argentina's second group game with the hyperactive Koreans, as revealed at El Diegos' pre match press conference earlier today.  But it wasn't all just pre-match build up; Maradona still had time to maintain his ongoing ding dong with Pelé, and Michel Platini also got dragged in;

"I always had a distant relationship with Platini," said El Diego, in response to criticism raised by the UEFA president regarding Maradona's managerial qualifications, or rather, lack of. "It was 'Hi' and 'Bye', never more than that. But we know how the French are and Platini is French. He believes he's better than everyone else.".

So that's another one off the Christmas card list, and one less holiday venue.  To be fair to Diego, while he has never been slow to put the boot in when necessary, it does appear that others appear more concerned with casting the first stone.  

That said, when Diego was asked his opinion on the World Cup ball, he just couldn't resit another pop; "Everbody's talking about it," he said, referrimng to the much maligned Jabulani. "It does play a part and it is important. I would ask Pelé and Platini to go out and try this ball and see if it's any good, and stop talking about me".  

Diego is available for weddings and funerals, please contact Julio Grondona at the AFA for further details.

"Hi", "Bye"

Back to South Korea then.  I'm expecting a sterner test for El Diego's side in this game, with the only likely change being Maxi Lopez in for Veron.  Lopez has the experience, although is unlikely to play the same sort of role as 'Seba'.  Perhaps this could have been an opportunity for Palermo's Javier Pastore to step up to the plate, he's in form and has been long earmarked for the Veron role, but IBWM can see the logic in going for Lopez. 

I'ev already singled young Javier out for praise (see introducing the pretenders - part one), and his rise to greatness looks assured (I note that Chelsea have been heavily linked with him again this week). Although maybe next time, eh son?

Comments welcome