Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza has backed Sergio Aguero to help his front line against Chile in Thursday's World Cup qualifying match.
Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has been ruled out against Chile and Bauza said on Thursday that Aguero is ready to regain the spot, just as he did for Manchester City when Gabriel Jesus was injured. After falling behind the Brazil international at City, Aguero has come back to score seven goals in his last seven games in all competitions.
"With Dybala's absence, 'Kun' [Aguero] is the best one in that position at this moment," Bauza told a news conference. "Kun has recovered the starting spot on his team and I think along with [Lionel] Messi, [Gonzalo] Higuain and [Angel] Di Maria, they can be an attacking squad that puts Chile off their equilibrium. I just simply see he [Aguero] is the best player, for this position right now."
Chile currently have 20 points, one more than Argentina, so a win for them would be equally significant -- but their recent history against Argentina does not bode well.
Of their five previous meetings, Argentina have won three while Chile have won two in penalty shootouts.
"I hope we will have a match defensively like the one we played with Colombia [a 3-0 win], that was a difficult one and our team solved the things we needed defensively," Bauza said. "Chile are different. They attack differently, have different players, but well, we have worked and tried to prepare for the match so that we can make things right.
"I have a lot of confidence in the players and I hope we can have a good game, beyond the difficulties that we can find, I think we can make it."