Messi’s minutes to be managed as Argentina aim to avoid ‘risks’

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Lionel Messi is set to play in Argentina’s final friendly match ahead of the World Cup, though Lionel Scaloni is wary of taking unnecessary risks with his fitness.

Messi suffered muscle fatigue in Inter Miami’s last MLS match before the World Cup break and was forced off the pitch.

He was subsequently named in Argentina’s squad for their title defence, though his time on the pitch in the build-up to the tournament has been carefully managed.

Messi was named as a substitute in their 2-0 win over Honduras, but never came off the bench, though Scaloni is ready to get him back on the pitch against Iceland on Tuesday.

“Messi will play, I just don’t know how many minutes,” Scaloni said in a news conference on Monday.

“I still need to talk to him in training, and we will see how many minutes he plays to avoid any type of risks. We will decide, but in principle, he will play.

“We’re going to distribute the minutes of the players who will play to try to avoid any mishaps.”

#SelecciónMayor ¡Todo preparado para el segundo amistoso!

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Messi was not Argentina’s only injury concern heading into the World Cup, though they have received more fitness boosts.

Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are all available, having been training separately due to varying injuries, while Julian Alvarez and Leandro Paredes are also on the right track.

“Julian Alvarez is doing well; he has an ankle discomfort that’s going away,” Scaloni added.

“Lea Paredes is also coming along well. In the next few days, he’ll be able to rejoin the group.”

Scaloni is, however, still waiting to announce Leonardo Balerdi’s replacement after he was ruled out of the tournament prior to their match against Honduras.

“We’ll have a clearer picture after the match regarding his replacement,” Scaloni said.

“We can cover Balerdi’s position, but we are also looking at other options depending on how the rest of the injured players progress.”

After facing Iceland, Argentina then begin their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16 before also facing Austria and Jordan in Group J.

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