One to Watch: Meza versatility to sideline Dybala and Pavon for Argentina opener

It’s fair to say that when Argentina open their World Cup campaign on Saturday against Iceland that all eyes will be on their talismanic captain.

Indeed, for all of the enviable talent at Jorge Sampaoli’s disposal, particularly in attack, the modus operandi is still the worst kept secret in football. Get Lionel Messi on the ball and hope that he can come up with the magic that saw Argentina book their place at the tournament on the final day of qualifying.

The system, in that sense, is more important than the individual, unless that individual is Messi. It’s part of the reason that Mauro Icardi missed the cut and almost the entire reason as to why Paulo Dybala looks likely to play a peripheral role at best this summer.

Reports emerging from South America seem confident that it’s Maximiliano Meza that will complete the line-up in attack, along with mainstays Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero. At 25 the Independent man is set to be the youngest player in Sampaoli’s starting XI against Iceland - keeping the sought after youngster Cristian Pavon on the sidelines - and it’s his versatility that has undoubtedly played in Meza’s favour.

With that man Messi offered a license to roam, more often than not out to a familiar position on the right, it will be up to the nominal winger on that flank to vacate space and dovetail with the skipper. In that sense Meza’s ability to play across the three behind a lone striker and even drop deep if necessary could be valuable.

The Primera Division star has started 17 league games this season for his club across six different starting positions and never more than six times in any one berth. With a WhoScored.com rating well in excess of seven in five of said stations, and overall score of 7.30 this season, he’s a player that will be on the radar of plenty of clubs in Europe in Russia and is not to be underestimated.

Whether Meza can show his best form in a system so geared up to those around him is unclear, but his ability to adapt to that situation is what seems set to earn him a place in a star studded attack.