Lionel Messi has been struggling with an injury since the middle of last month. He has missed a number of games for Inter Miami and one match for Argentina due to that. However, as the October international break approaches, La Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni has named Messi in their squad. It’s unclear whether Messi will actually play in their two World Cup qualifier matches scheduled this month. However, this will not go down well with Inter Miami fans who have lost a number of matches due to the absence of their star player.
Argentina have two World Cup qualifier matches scheduled on 13th October against Paraguay and on 18th October against Peru. Coach Lionel Scaloni has named his squad for this international break which includes captain Lionel Messi. Messi travelled with the team during their last month’s international break. He played during their match against Ecuador. However, his injury interfered and even though he travelled to Bolivia, he was unable to play in the match. Since then Messi has appeared in only one of Inter Miami’s matches.
Since Messi returned to the United States, Inter Miami have played six matches. Messi only played 31 minutes in their win against Toronto FC. He has not appeared in any of the rest of their 5 matches. Additionally, Miami have not won any of those 5 matches. This includes their last 4-1 defeat against Chicago Fire. This defeat saw their hopes of qualifying into the play-offs fade into nothingness. Miami Coach Gerardo Martino has not been able to provide fans with a date of their ace’s return.
Following their defeat against Chicago, coach Martino said that the date of his return might be close. He said, “I think he’s getting closer to playing again. As we said, we’ll evaluate him tomorrow and Friday to see if he’s in condition [to play]. The most important thing is he’s leaving his injury behind and slowly discovering his best form… we’ll see what’s most convenient ahead of the next game.” Before Argentina’s first World Cup qualifiers match this month, Miami will play one more match against Cincinnati.
The match is scheduled on 8th October, but coach Martino has not given any update on whether Messi will be able to play. Neither Inter Miami nor Argentina have been able to give details or clear updates on Messi’s injury type of his recovery time. Additionally, even though coach Scaloni included him in the Argentina squad, it’s still unclear whether Messi will play in those matches. Still, Messi’s inclusion is sure to ruffle some feathers among Inter Miami authority and fans.
Lionel Messi was not the only surprise selection for Scaloni, he has also named a few new players. The new players’ list includes Marco Pellegrino from AC Milan, Carlos Alcaraz from Southampton, and Messi’s teammate Facundo Farias from Inter Miami. Whether Scaloni will play them or not is still under consideration. However, he will hope that his captain recovers before the international break starts. Since the World Cup, La Albiceleste are on a 12-game winning streak. Scaloni & Co. will be determined to extend that run.
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