Aston Villa: Emi Buendia in frame for last-gasp World Cup call as injury hits Argentina

Aston Villa ace Emi Buendia could soon be on his way to the World Cup.

The attacking midfielder is coming off the dream season in claret and blue after looking likely to leave last summer.

Although not totally his fault, frustration surrounded his place in the squad due to the lack of change over many years.

That has certainly been changed over the course of the campaign after the 29-year-old had a telling impact on everything good in B6.

His stunning goal in the Europa League final summed that up, but it wasn't enough to land himself a spot in the Argentina squad.

Buendia could now see a place at the World Cup come into view as injury hits Lionel Scaloni's camp.

Argentina set for World Cup squad change after injury

La Albiceleste are once again coming into the summer tournament as one of the favourites.

After glory last time around in Qatar, that is hardly a surprise and they will hope to give the likes of France and Spain a run for their money.

That could prove to be entirely possible with the likes of Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez, but they will also be hoping for a solid defensive showing.

Big names like Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez will have work to do, especially now that they've lost a back-up option in Leonardo Balerdi.

Argentina have confirmed the defender has suffered a muscle injury and will no longer feature in the World Cup squad.

Local journalist Gaston Edul has since reported that the centre-back's replacement won't be a like-for-like alternative.

That opens the door for Buendia to step in and prove exactly what he can do on the international stage.

Emi Buendia deserves World Cup spot after Aston Villa heroics

The 29-year-old has arguably been the Player of the Year in B6 after a turbulent spell previously.

To be able to come back from being shipped out to Bayer Leverkusen last season is no mean feat.

That sort of attitude could be perfect as a late introduction to the World Cup squad, especially after chipping in with 20 goal involvements in claret and blue.

Arguably his best performance came in Istanbul as his curling strike put the icing on the cake.

He created four chances in the Europa League final while taking three shots, scoring one.

The attacker showed his work rate as he then chipped in with two defensive actions and five duel wins against Freiburg.

Buendia has proven that he can perform under true pressure and it feels like now is his time to prove himself on the biggest stage of all.