the albiceleste captain, Leo Messiwho missed the PSG game against Monaco last Sunday due to a flu, trained this Wednesday with his teammates and is emerging as a starter this Friday against Venezuela on matchday 17 of the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
Messi arrived in Argentina on Tuesday morning and this Wednesday afternoon he trained normally, according to images shared by the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
In the first training open to the press, an active Messi was seen and in optimal physical conditions.
Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Emiliano Buendía will not be able to play because they were suspended by FIFA, Lisandro Martínez, Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gómez and Marcos Acuña are out due to injury and Lautaro Martínez because he tested positive for coronavirus.
The multiple casualties will force the coach Lionel Scaloni to make several changes that will allow him to analyze the relays that will go to the World Cup.
Argentina will have its last practice this Thursday and Scaloni will speak at a press conference.
Argentina’s probable line-up to play against Venezuela is as follows: Franco Armani; Nahuel Molina, Germán Pezzella, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Exequiel Palacios or Manuel Lanzini; Nicolas Gonzalez, Lionel Messi and Joaquin Correa.
Di María, regular starter, is not in optimal physical condition.
Even with one game less, Brazil leads the South American qualifiers with 39 points, followed by Argentina with 35. Then there are Ecuador (25) and Uruguay (22) in the direct qualifying zone, Peru (21), who would play a playoff, and behind Chile (19), Colombia (17), Bolivia (15), Paraguay (13) and Venezuela (10).
In the two previous days, Argentina beat Chile 1-2 and Colombia 1-0 without Messi, who was absent to recover from coronavirus.
After the match against Venezuela, the Albiceleste will play against Ecuador next Tuesday. Then he will have to play the pending match against Brazil on the sixth day.
The red wine team will finish the South American qualifiers on Tuesday when they host Colombia Puerto Ordaz.