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Argentina, the Champions of the World, are ready to be in action. They have two FIFA friendlies this month against El Salvador and Costa Rica. But unfortunately, skipper Lionel Messi will miss these two games for the Albiceleste due to his injury.
Lionel Messi Will Miss FIFA Friendlies
Lionel Messi, the 8-time Balon D’or winner, was seriously fouled while playing for Inter Miami against Nashville. There was an initial concern that his leg might be broken, but luckily nothing serious happened. Leo has a small injury to the hamstring of his right leg, which forced him out of Inter Miami’s last two matches.
However, the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) released a statement this Monday regarding Lionel Messi’s injury. The statement read, “The captain of Argentina, Lionel Messi, will not be able to be in the squad for the friendlies in the USA due to a small injury to the hamstring of his right leg suffered in his team Inter Miami CF’s match against Nashville SC.”
After having a difficult season in the previous year at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi made a flying start this season for David Beckham’s club. The World Champion has already scored five goals and registered an assist in his five appearances this season for Inter Miami.
Argentina’s Lineup Without Messi
As Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s upcoming match against El Salvador, manager Lionel Scaloni needs to make some changes to the squad compared to the previous one. Scaloni has already experimented with playing two number nines, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez. Inter Milan’s captain Luataro Martinez is in fantastic form and will surely start against El Salvador.
So, Scaloni is likely to play Julian Alvarez along with Martinez. Angel Di Maria is the favorite to play in the right wing.
However, Argentina’s midfield has been solid since the World Cup. Alexis Mac Alister and Enzo Fernandez have built a fantastic partnership with Rodrigo De Paul. This trio is likely to lead the midfield for Argentina in their upcoming games.
In the defense, the Albiceleste will miss the service of Lisandro Martinez, who is recovering from a hamstring injury. But Christan Romero will continue with Nicolas Otamendi in the heart of the Argentine defense. Meanwhile, Nicolas Tagliafico and Nahuel Molina are ready to roll in the full-back position. Emi Martinez, however, is the obvious under Argentina’s goalposts.
Possible Lineup for Argentina: (4-3-3)
Emi Martinez, Nico Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico, Christian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Alexis MacAllister, Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.
Argentina VS El Salvador: Head to Head
Argentina have played only twice against El Salvador. Their first meeting was the FIFA World Cup in 1982, where Argentina defeated them by a 2-0 margin.
They met again after 33 years in a FIFA Friendlies. Once again, Argentina won against El Salvador by a similar margin.
