Messi's Injury Update Ahead of World Cup

Lionel Messi is getting better from his injury. He might play a few minutes in Argentina’s friendlies before the World Cup, coach Lionel Scaloni said on Friday.

“Leo is doing well, he has already trained partly with the group, he’s no longer completely separated,” Scaloni said. “It’s possible he’ll play a few minutes in the friendlies. We’ll see whether that’s tomorrow’s game or the other one.”

The defending World Cup champions Argentina will face Honduras in College Station, Texas, on Saturday. They will also play Iceland on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama.

“He’s much better and that gives us peace of mind,” Scaloni said.

The medical team of the Argentine national squad has a lot to do, starting with Messi. He had a strain in his left hamstring during Inter Miami’s last match and was not expected to play against Honduras.

Scaloni also confirmed that goalkeeper Juan Musso from Atletico Madrid will start against Honduras. This is because his first-choice keeper, Emiliano Martinez, broke the ring finger in his right hand during the warm-up for the Europa League final.

The medical staff has decided to keep Martinez out of both friendlies. But he should be back for the opener against Algeria.

Scaloni will also give playing time to debutant Santiago Beltran, a young goalkeeper from River Plate who was called up for the friendlies.

In defense, right backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are recovering from muscle tears. The coaching staff has called up Agustin Giay and Nicolas Capaldo to replace them in the friendlies.

Center-back Cristian Romero is back training with the group after suffering a knee sprain in April. But he is not match fit yet.

Scaloni must decide whether to play him now or wait a few more days. Another player to watch is Nicolas Paz, who is training separately after a bad hit to his knee.

He has been ruled out for the Honduras match and may not be ready for the World Cup debut. Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez also arrived at Argentina’s camp in Kansas with some physical problems. Though they are improving, it is still unclear if they will play in the warm-up matches.

“The situation is improving,” Scaloni said. “They’re fine, and we don’t want to risk them in these games. The idea is surely that (the injured players) won’t take part in these friendlies.

“In this one (against Honduras), definitely not,” he added. “In the second, there might be a chance that one of them could play.”

Scaloni said the coming week will show “exactly where we stand.”

“For now everything is going quite well, and next week we’ll see,” he said.

Argentina will start their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.