Soccer fans have long been denied the chance to witness Lionel Messi in action, with the Argentine superstar out of the pitch with injury for a long time. He missed lots of games with Inter Miami, with the club losing the chance to qualify for the playoff spots.
He did return to the pitch, playing as a substitute for Inter Miami’s last game before joining the international camp. In the game against Ecuador, he again played as a substitute and even had a decent performance. However, the captain is now a major doubt to start the next match against Peru.
Lionel Messi fitness update
Apparently, Messi still had muscular problems when he played the last two games as a substitute. He has some problems in his right leg from his initial injury that saw him sidelined for a month when he faced Ecuador in September.
While he is training with the rest of his teammates, there is a chance he may not even start against Peru. In a video of their training on Sunday, Messi was seen participating and even taking photos with some fans afterwards.
According to ESPN, manager Lionel Scaloni had previously said it was a risk to have Messi play against Paraguay because there could be another chance of injury. “It is not discounted that he plays; it is not discounted that he does not play. I still haven’t talked about it, but today I think it was risky for him to have more minutes than normal; we talked about it and we agreed on it.”
After all, Messi’s current injury is due to him playing immediately for Inter Miami after a previous injury recovery. And Scaloni therefore prefers having Messi not play if there is a risk of aggravating the injury. “And I think it was prudent to do so, because we run the risk of having a problem that is not what we want.”
Lionel Messi was also doubtful for the World Cup qualifying game against Paraguay but did play as a substitute, creating a wholesome moment with Nicolas Otamendi. He could still play against Peru, but it all depends until before the match. However, there is no doubt he will be travelling with the squad to Peru.
Messi led Argentina on 13-game winning streak
The recent victory against Paraguay continued an impressive winning streak for the World Cup champions who have now won their 13 last games. Their last loss was a historic shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening match of the World Cup. Since then, they have won all their next 13 games, becoming World Champions in the process.
Furthermore, the Albicelestes have only one loss in their last 50 games, winning three trophies in that timeframe. Lionel Messi definitely was a major reason, helping his team to overcome so many odds, often scoring in the right moments.
Currently, they have nine points from three games in their World Cup qualifying process so far. A win against Peru will see that go to 12 points, solidifying their lead before club football returns.
Whether Lionel Messi will or will not play for Argentina remains to be seen, but Peru awaits on Wednesday. Stay tuned for further updates.
