Lionel Messi was left out of Argentina’s team for matches against Uruguay and Brazil on Monday due to a suspected injury he sustained in a club game the previous day, meaning he would miss two World Cup qualifying matches.
In a CONCACAF Champions Cup victory, Messi, 37, scored a goal off the bench after missing three games for his team, Inter Miami, at the beginning of March due to a pulled muscle.
According to Argentine media, he suffered muscle soreness after playing the entire 90 minutes and scoring another goal in Sunday’s MLS victory in Atlanta.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, can guarantee their spot in the competition next year by winning both of their matches against the current international group.
They lead the 10-team South American qualifying group by five points from Uruguay and visit Montevideo on Friday before hosting Brazil in Buenos Aires on March 25.
The top six teams in the United States, Mexico, and Canada advance straight to the World Cup. Bolivia presently has 13 points, which puts them in seventh position.
With six goals after 12 games, Messi leads the competition in scoring.
River Plate full-back Paulo Montiel and Roma forward Paulo Dybala are also out for Argentina.
Brazil, currently in fifth place, seven points behind Argentina, will be without 33-year-old Neymar, who had to delay his return to the national team due to a thigh injury.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, ENG), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille, FRA), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven, NED).
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille, FRA), Cristian Romero (Tottenham, ENG), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica, POR), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon, FRA), Facundo Medina (Lens, FRA), Juan Foyth (Villarreal, ESP), German Pezzella (River Plate)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma, ITA), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool, ENG), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen, GER), Maximo Perrone (Como, ITA), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, ENG), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Benjamin Dominguez (Bologne, ITA), Thiago Almada (Lyon, FRA)
Forwards: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, ITA), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Nicolas Paz (Como, ITA), Santiago Castro (Bologna, ITA), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus, ITA).
