With the start of the new season, come the usual national team stoppages to play international matches. At the beginning of September, the first two days of the Nations League were held, played by all the countries that are part of UEFA. In that occasion, Atlético lost eight players, who were summoned with their national teams. Now it's the turn of the South American qualifiers and yesterday most of the CONMEBOL teams gave their respective lists for the first two days of this tournament and several rojiblancos players are included in them. Specifically five: Lodi, Felipe, Giménez, Nehuén and Arias.
Lodi and Felipe will go with Brazil, who will play the Thursday, October 8 against Bolivia at the Arena Pernambuco and on Tuesday, October 13, against Peru at the National Stadium in Lima. The winger has accumulated four games with his national team, while the central defender has only played one match with the 'canarinha'.
Giménez will once again be one of Uruguay's defense chiefs, to be measured on October 8 to Chile at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo and on October 13 to Ecuador at the Liga Deportiva Universitaria stadium in Quito. If he played both duels, the central colchonero would reach 60 caps with his country.
Nehuén is being one of the surprises of Atlético's preseason and that has made Scaloni count on him for these first matches of the albiceleste. Argentina will play against Ecuador on October 8 at the Alberto J. Armando stadium (La Bombonera) in Buenos Aires and on October 13 against Bolivia at the Hernando Siles stadium in La Paz. It could mean the debut of the young rojiblanco defender with the absolute, who was already mentioned on another occasion, but did not get to jump onto the pitch.
For its part, Arias (recently recovered from the coronavirus) is part of the preliminary list given by the Colombian coach, Carlos Queiroz, for these games. He gave 34 names and has to reduce it to the usual 23, so it is not confirmed that he will be among the chosen, but it is likely that he is. Colombia will face Venezuela on October 8 at the Roberto Meléndez stadium in Barranquilla and five days later they will visit the Julio Martínez National Stadium in Santiago to play against Chile. If he is finally one of those chosen, Arias could reach 55 games with the coffee growers.