The Argentina national team coach has called Lionel Messi to the squad that will play Paraguay in the South American World Cup qualifiers, this is despite injury concerns.
Argentina are set to host Paraguay on October 12, then travel to play Peru five days later in CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Messi has missed three of Inter Miami’s last six fixtures one of which saw the club lose 2-1 to Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup Finals.
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36-year-old Messi was absent from Inter’s 4-1 loss to Chicago on Wednesday due to ongoing fitness concerns.
He has only participated for a total of 37 minutes with the club since September 3.
ALSO READ: Fatigue or injury? Messi subbed after just 37 minutes for Inter Miami
Miami’s coach Gerardo Martino at first said Messi was struggling with “muscle fatigue”
However, later referred to the World Cup winner as being troubled by “scars” from an old injury.
Messi featured and scored a goal during his country’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Buenos Aires on September 7.
In the closing minutes of that match, he requested a substitution and subsequently sat out the game against Bolivia in La Paz five days later, observing his teammates from the sidelines.
Benfica winger Angel Di Maria is absent from the Argentina squad due to injury.
21-year-old winger Facundo Farias, who plays alongside Messi in Miami, has received his first call-up to the national team squad.
