The possible absence of Walter Samuel in Argentina's upcoming Group B match against Greece could deny Argentina's defense one of its most experienced and solid players.
Samuel limped off in the 22nd minute of Thursday's 4-1 victory against South Korea with an apparent thigh problem and was replaced by Nicolas Burdisso. The Inter Milan center back is expected to undergo medical tests Friday.
``It's been confirmed that Samuel suffered a cramp in his left thigh,'' Argentina team spokesman Andres Ventura told The Associated Press. ``He is being evaluated day by day. It's not a serious injury ... but it's too soon to say whether he will be available to play against Greece.''
Argentina coach Diego Maradona has opted for caution before, preferring to rest Juan Sebastian Veron against South Korea after the veteran midfielder left the game against Nigeria with an right-calf injury.
Samuel did not practice with the rest of the team Friday at the University of Pretoria, instead undergoing physical therapy sessions to treat his injury.
``I'm feeling better. Luckily it's not a muscle tear so that's good and I hope to return as soon as possible,'' Samuel said. ``I'd like to be ready for the next match, but there is no deadline.''
Veron, meanwhile, played in a training game against a team of mostly Argentina youth players. He iced his right leg after the practice but seemed to show no signs of his ailment while playing in his usual midfield spot.
Burdisso - Samuel's former Inter teammate who is now on loan to AS Roma - provides flexibility for Argentina as he has experience in the middle and as a fullback, but Diego Maradona's defense is also under threat from yellow cards picked up by Gabriel Heinze and midfielder Javier Mascherano against South Korea.
Further limiting Maradona's options, Jonas Gutierrez will miss the match against Greece after being shown yellow cards in Argentina's first two games. Gutierrez is normally a midfielder, but Maradona prefers to position him on the defense's right side with the option to go on the attack. The task seemed to overwhelm the Newcastle player during the 1-0 win over Nigeria, although he improved in Argentina's second match.
Mascherano, who plays as a holding midfielder, said Maradona's strategy of fielding a three-pronged attack of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain didn't necessarily put the defense at a disadvantage.
``Argentina today is placing a lot of very dangerous players on attack,'' Mascherano said. ``That could also be a benefit for us, because if you put four or five players above midfield it forces rivals to defend with more players and have fewer to attack you.''
Maradona could be seen enjoying himself immensely Friday while kicking balls to substitute goalkeepers Mariano Andujar and Diego Pozo. Maradona's shots from outside the penalty area frequently hit their target, frustrating the goalkeepers but thrilling the coach.
The practice session was open to the press for more than an hour instead of the customary 15 minutes, a possible indication of the positive mood surrounding the team after the victories in the first two matches.
Argentina needs just a draw against Greece to advance to the knockout round.
