Argentina captain Lionel Messi is set to miss the final group match of Copa America 2024 group against Peru due to injury.
Team officials said that Messi had been complaining of muscle tightness due to which the striker would not take on the pitch at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami against the game with Peru.
Assistant coach Walter Samuel told a press conference that the superstar was “day-by-day” following an injury to his right adductor muscle.
“Leo had a problem in the last game, he won’t be there for this game,” Samuel said. “We are going to go day-by-day waiting for its evolution, ” he added.”
Samuel, meanwhile, played down the impact of Messi’s absence on the rest of the team.
“The team has always proven to be up to the task before when he wasn’t there,” he said, suggesting that veteran Angel Di Maria might replace Messi.
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Messi Ruled Out Against Peru
The forward revealed his injury following Argentina’s win over Chile, explaining his decision to play through the pain for a full 90 minutes despite not being “100%.” But monitoring his injury, the coaching staff have decided to rest the player for the game.
“I felt some discomfort in my right hamstring at the beginning of the game. It was tight. It wasn’t as loose as it should’ve been. But I was able to finish the game. We’ll see how it goes,” Messi said in an interview after the match.
“In the first play, my adductor got hard. I didn’t feel a puncture or a tear, but I did find it difficult to move freely,” he added.
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Messi will be monitored daily, and remains expected to return for the knockout round given Argentina has already qualified for the next stage of the competition.
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Argentina are already through to the quarter-finals after wins against Canada and Chile in their opening two matches.
A draw in the game against Peru will ensure Argentina qualify for the knock-out stage as group winners.
