Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said Wednesday that he remains unsure whether captain Lionel Messi will start in the team's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring for Argentina during the Round of 16 match against Australia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Dec. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
The 36-year-old has been struggling with an unspecified muscle injury and missed four consecutive games for Inter Miami before a 35-minute cameo in a 1-0 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.
"He looks good but I will talk with him before deciding if he plays from the start or not," Scaloni told reporters ahead of Thursday's match at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
"He has looked good in training but we need to see how he feels. Then we have to consider that there is another game [against Peru] in four days. We won't make any rash decisions because we know that whoever comes into the team to replace him, if that happens, will do a good job."
Scaloni was asked about the difficulty in choosing between Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez and Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez for the No. 9 role.
And, somewhat surprisingly, he raised the prospect of starting with both players on the pitch against Paraguay.
"I am open to many things. It will depend on the game and what we believe is best for the team," Scaloni said. "They are both number nines but they are also different players and could play together."
Argentina began their qualifying campaign with victories over Ecuador and Bolivia last month.
The reigning world champions are currently second in the 10-team South American group, trailing Brazil on goal difference.
