Argentina Injury Update: Lionel Messi Latest Details, Recovery Timeline

Argentina have been dealt a big injury blow as they prepare for the latest round of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Lionel Scaloni’s side however were dealt a massive blow recently as Lionel Messi has made himself unavailable for this international break. The captain picked reportedly has discomfort and has decided to rest to recover properly during the break in the regular club season.

The injury suffered is expected to affect further plans for the Argentina national football team. On that note, read below and get a detailed overview of how the forward faced the injury, the freshest update on the situation, the impact of the blow on the club, his possible replacements, and his return to action date.

Lionel Messi Injury Update

Lionel Messi’s importance to this Argentina squad cannot be understated. There’s a reason why Argentina have won three major international honours in a row. Not only does Messi lead from the front, but there is a real sense of unity in the side which shows. It is a deep respect and admiration that everyone on the side plays for him and that serves as extra motivation.

There are varying reports as to the extent of his injury and absence. The fact is that Messi hasn’t played much of late. Over the last few weeks, Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano has been extremely careful about when he has chosen to play or rest Messi. That being said, the genuine is still in genius form. He has played 5 games this season and has 4 goals and 2 assists. This is natural given that Messi is obviously 37 years old now, having played at the absolute top strata of football for a couple of decades.

Impact of Lionel Messi’s Injury on Argentina’s Squad and Strategy

Argentina have a couple of really difficult games in this international break, against Uruguay and Brazil. The good news for Argentina is that they are 5 points ahead of everyone else in the CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. While without Messi, logically these two games would be really hard, this Argentina side have shown that they can win without their captain. When Scaloni’s side won the Copa America last year, Messi was not at his best, even missing games through injury in the tournament.

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Possible Replacements and Tactical Adjustments

For Argentina, Messi is absolved of a lot of off-the-ball duties and his genius is allowed to thrive. Without him, there would be no such luxury player in the side. There are other things that Scaloni can do with his side. Lautaro Martinez can be paired up with Julian Alvarez who is in ridiculous form. Nico Paz of Como, Angel Correa Guiliano Simeone of Atletico Madrid, Nico Gonzalez of Juventus, and Thiago Almada of Lyon can all be deployed in a similar role.