Nalbandian says will be fit to face Romania's Ungur

World number 19 David Nalbandian expects to have recovered in time to meet Adrian Ungur in Argentina's opening singles of their Davis World Group first round tie against Romania.

Argentina's top player, drawn to meet Romanian number two Ungur in the first rubber on clay at Parque Roca, has been nursing a groin strain since his quarter-final elimination in the Buenos Aires Open, his home tournament, two weeks ago.

"I have a slight bother but I'll be fine for the match," Nalbandian said at Buenos Aires city headquarters for the tie ending on Sunday.

"Everyone knows what the Davis Cup means to me, it's a debt I owe myself to win it," said Nalbandian, who has played in two finals which Argentina lost against Russia in 2006 and Spain in 2008.

In the second singles, Juan Mónaco, ranked 33, faces Romania's number one Victor Hanescu, who is fresh from playing on clay in three of the four tournaments of the Latin American "Golden Swing".

Saturday's doubles will pit Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank against Hanescu and Horia Tecau.

The winners of the tie meet Kazakhstan or Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.