Premier League clubs to reject Argentina's request to release players early ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup: Reports

According to 90min, Premier League clubs are set to collectively reject a request from the Argentina Football Association to release their players early for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament in Qatar is set to commence on November 20. Gameweek 16 of the Premier League is scheduled for the weekend of November 12 and 13. Los Albicelestes are set to play a friendly on November 16 against the United Arab Emirates to prepare for the tournament.

The AFA has requested that Premier League clubs relinquish their players from their duties for the final round of fixtures.

However, according to FIFA rules, clubs have no obligation to release players selected for the World Cup ahead of November 14. Hence, all clubs are set to reject the request collectively.

According to the Daily Mail, the AFA has already requested an unamed Premier League club to release a player earlier. However, that request has been turned down by the club.

There are currently eight Argentines in the Premier League who have been named on Albiceleste's provisional list for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho are on the short list. Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, Emiliano Buendia, and Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero have been selected as well and are likely to make the final cut.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Alexis Mac Allister, Manchester City's Julian Alvarez and Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi are on the 49-man list announced by manager Lionel Scaloni.

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Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup dreams will rest on Lionel Messi's shoulders

Lionel Messi will look to make a mark in the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi recently announced that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be the last of his career. The Argentine came agonizingly close to lifting the trophy in 2014. However, a 1-0 loss to Germany in the final shattered his and millions of others' dreams.

Messi has been in great form for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season. The forward has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 17 games this season.

The consensus belief is that Messi is peaking at the right time as the World Cup is on the horizon. While there are other superstars in the Argentina team, there is no doubt that their captain is Argentina's biggest hope if they are to have a triumphant outing in Qatar.

Argentina begin the hunt for their third World Cup trophy on November 22 against Saudi Arabia in a Group C clash.