Messi on Track for World Cup Return Following Injury Scare
Lionel Messi is making strong progress in his recovery from a recent muscle injury and could make an appearance in Argentina’s final warm-up fixtures ahead of the World Cup, Reuters reports.
The 38-year-old forward sustained a muscle strain 10 days ago whilst representing Inter Miami during a thrilling 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. The setback initially sparked fears regarding his physical condition as the global tournament approaches.
Positive training updates
The reigning world champions are scheduled to face Honduras in Texas on Saturday before taking on Iceland in Alabama next Tuesday for their final preparatory matches. Speaking at a press conference in the United States, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni provided an encouraging update on his star captain.
«Leo is doing well, he’s already trained with the group for part of the session, and that’s significant,» Scaloni revealed to the media. «He’s no longer training separately».
The manager added that the veteran attacker is improving rapidly and might even see time on the pitch.
«We’ll see whether it’s this one or the next, but he’s much better and that gives us peace of mind,» Scaloni stated.
A lighthearted call-up
Messi is currently gearing up to participate in his sixth World Cup. During the press briefing, Scaloni shared a humorous anecdote about informing the legendary forward of his inclusion in the national squad.
«I sent him a message and he told me he would wait for the squad list to see if he had been called up,» Scaloni recalled with a smile. «I told him, ‘You’re called up.’ That’s how it happened».
Widely celebrated as one of the greatest footballers in history, Messi famously captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
The upcoming World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada and is set to run from June 11 to July 19. Argentina will begin their title defence against Algeria on June 16 before completing their Group J campaign against Austria and Jordan.
