FNX Magokiler Posted October 11, 2023 Posted October 11, 2023 The availability of Lionel Messi is one of the great unknowns in the Argentine National Team facing the second double date of the South American Qualifiers against the brand new Paraguay of Daniel Garnero and Peru. The captain did not play any minutes against Bolivia and only returned to the court last Saturday in Inter Miami's defeat against Cincinnati, after missing the four previous games due to muscle discomfort, including the US Open Cup final. "We still have a training session and for him one more is important. We saw him well and I will talk first to decide if he plays at the start or not. Based on that the team can change, but I have to talk to him about it and above all that he is well, that we are convinced that he can play from the start. He looked good and loose. Based on that we will see the rest of the team," Scaloni specified at a press conference. And he added: "The decision is first to see how he feels, and second that we have another game in four days. If he is available, you know what I think. Apparently he is fine, the issue of minutes is important." Asked if this problem has to do with Messi's lack of preseason, Scaloni said: "I don't know if the majority of those here had it. Leo in this case went to compete directly, but the rest played games in the United States. "It's no longer like before that you go 15 days to the mountain to run. Today the calendar involves playing and playing, and there are times when it takes its toll. We are in a moment in which all the players are feeling it." The Argentine National Team will play this Thursday with Paraguay, from 8 p.m., at the Monumental de River and will visit Peru next Tuesday at the National Stadium in Lima, starting at 11 p.m. Messi's calendar until the end of the year Messi will have action in the MLS until the end of October, while in the first days of November he plans a friendly tour of Asia with Inter Miami. The idea is for Las Garzas to visit Japan and China between the FIFA dates to add filming, after being left with no chance of qualifying for the playoffs in the United States. Inter Miami has two games remaining, both against Charlotte FC, in the American league. For the first of them, on October 18, Lionel Messi will surely not be given that his participation with the Argentine National Team ends one day before, with the duel against Peru in Lima. The second will be on the 21st and, if La Pulga is fit, he could add minutes. "It will be in motion until the next FIFA date as far as the Argentine National Team is concerned. Being selfish, it doesn't hurt us much. For the next date (vs. Brazil and Uruguay) it will be with training and matches, no "It's a problem. And with what will happen later, I didn't talk about it, but it's logical that he will have his well-deserved vacation and will return to training with his team later. It doesn't disrupt the plans in the National Team much," he said. https://www.tycsports.com/seleccion-argentina/eliminatorias-sudamericanas-seleccion-argentina-lionel-scaloni-conferencia-lionel-messi-paraguay-peru-id540686.html
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