Coach holds thumbs over Messi
– Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi is widely expected to end an eight-month exile and be called back into the Argentina squad ahead of the country’s last get-together before the Copa America.
But the 31-year-old Barcelona star has a hamstring strain and even if he agrees to return, he may not be fit to play in friendlies later this month against Venezuela and Morocco.
Interim coach Lionel Scaloni is due to name his squad for the friendlies today.
Messi hasn’t pulled on the light blue and white national team shirt since Ar-
Buenos Aires
gentina were dumped out of the World Cup in June by eventual winners France.
He’s also refused to comment on his international future in the last eight months.
Messi has missed six friendlies since the World Cup in Russia but most experts believe he will be in the squad that travels to Brazil for the Copa America later this year.
Despite nine Spanish La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns with Barcelona, Messi’s only success with Argentina was as part of the under-23 squad that won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008.
Still, without Messi, their chances in Brazil would be severely damaged.
“I know he can’t wait to come back, I know what he feels for this shirt,” said Argentina’s football federation (AFA) president Claudio Tapia three weeks ago.
However, AFA’s new director of national teams, Cesar Menotti says Argentina must focus on the bigger picture rather than relying on Messi.
“It’s much more important to build teams and strengthen players to become champions rather than dreaming about Messi’s return,” said Menotti, who guided Argentina to World Cup glory as a coach in 1978. –