The anticipation surrounding Lionel Messi’s participation in Argentina’s upcoming friendlies has reached fever pitch. The World Cup-winning captain, now 38, has joined Lionel Scaloni’s squad after a relentless run of video games with Inter Miami, taking part in seven instances in simply 21 days. However as Argentina prepares to face Venezuela in Miami and Puerto Rico in Chicago, the supervisor has delivered a peaceful but telling message about his star participant’s state of affairs — one wrapped in a seven-word trace that has everybody guessing.
Messi’s arrival in Argentina’s camp at Inter Miami’s coaching base in Fort Lauderdale was met with each pleasure and concern. Followers have been desirous to see their captain again within the iconic Albiceleste colours, but questions lingered over his health after a congested membership schedule.
Talking at a press convention forward of the friendlies, Lionel Scaloni addressed the problem with a measured tone, cautious to not increase expectations or panic. “We’ll decide, we are going to see how he [Messi] and the remainder of the gamers are,” he mentioned. “We’re going to discuss to him and to the others.”
Behind these phrases lies the truth that Messi’s involvement in Friday’s conflict towards Venezuela stays unsure, significantly as Inter Miami faces Atlanta United in an important MLS fixture lower than 24 hours later. Whereas Miami has already secured a spot within the MLS playoffs, the membership continues to be battling for a high seeding that will assure home-field benefit — an element each Scaloni and Messi are effectively conscious of.
Scaloni’s seven-word trace
Halfway by means of his feedback, Scaloni provided the clearest clue but about his captain’s standing — although he phrased it with deliberate subtlety. “The concept is to not danger anybody,” he mentioned, a seven-word trace that encapsulated Argentina’s cautious strategy to those matches.
He continued, “These are essential video games for the nationwide workforce, however they’re friendlies. Whoever has a minor downside, whether or not it’s him or another person, we’re not going to take any dangers in anyway.”
That assertion, delivered with Scaloni’s attribute calm, underscores a broader philosophy guiding Argentina’s present preparations: to guard the gamers’ long-term well being whereas utilizing this window to refresh the squad forward of subsequent yr’s World Cup.
