Injury Woes for Argentina Ahead of Rugby Championship Clash

Pedro Rubiolo, a key player for Argentina, will miss the upcoming Rugby Championship match against Australia due to concussion protocols. Several other players are also out due to various injuries. Changes in the squad include new call-ups and returns, affecting the team's dynamics against a challenging Australian side.

Argentina's lock Pedro Rubiolo will be absent from Saturday's Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Santa Fe, as he adheres to concussion protocols following his early exit due to a head injury in last weekend's narrow 20-19 defeat to the Wallabies in La Plata.

Rubiolo's enforced absence means he will miss the southern hemisphere championship return clash, although he will continue to stay with the team, according to the Argentine Rugby Union. Additionally, scrumhalf Lautaro Bazan Velez is out due to a muscle strain sustained during warm-up, alongside loose forward Bautista Pedemonte, who is presently injured but did not play in the previous match.

Former captain Agustin Creevy, who earned his 110th cap with a brief appearance last Saturday, has left the squad. Replacements include uncapped hooker Bautista Bernasconi and Tomas Cubelli for Bazan Velez. Veteran lock Matias Alemanno rejoined the squad as backup for Rubiolo.

Australia edged Argentina with a last-minute penalty in their recent encounter, leaving both teams with two losses from three games in the Rugby Championship. This weekend's fixture at Santa Fe's Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao Lopez marks Argentina's first test in the city since a 30-12 defeat to Wales in 2018.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by William Maclean)

(With inputs from agencies.)