Argentina’s national team is scheduled to play a pair of international friendly matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States later this month. According to an announcement made by the Argentina Football Association, the team’s captain and Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi won’t be part of the roster for these two games as he’s dealing with a “minor hamstring injury”.
Messi experienced hamstring issues last week during the CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Nashville last week, being forced to leave the game early in the second half. He subsequently missed Inter’s 1-3 win over D.C. United over the weekend.
It is unclear how much time Messi could miss due to the hamstring injury. Speaking with the media after D.C. United game, Miami’s head coach Tata Martino said that his star player will be evaluated “week by week”.
Martino did share that Messi’s goal is to play in CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals. Inter Miami is set to face Monterrey, with the first leg of the matchup being scheduled for April 3rd.
Despite not being able to play, Messi could still join Argentina’s national team at some point this week. According to ESPN, Messi’s plan is to rehabilitate with Argentina’s medical staff before continuing the recovery process in Miami.
