Ankle issue rules out Lionel Messi of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers

The Argentina National Team has been handed a major blow heading into next month’s CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers. One of the nation’s greatest ever players and captain, Lionel Messi is ruled out of the fixtures. The 37-year-old did not make the cut in Lionel Scaloni’s 28-man squad for the next two encounters of Argentina’s qualification campaign.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner suffered a horrible ankle ligament injury during his country’s Copa America final against Colombia last month. The injury forced him out of the grand contest midway and also left him in tears. Since then, Messi has been unable to recover in time and will not be risked by Lionel Scaloni.

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Argentina will be up against Chile and Colombia to resume its qualification journey. The defending world champions will be confident in getting the job done even without their leader and icon. The Albiceleste is currently at the top of the table with 15 points from six matches along with a healthy goal difference of six. Lionel Scaloni will hope that Lionel Messi’s exclusion will provide him enough rest to be ready in time for the October round of qualifiers.

Argentina’s plan to tackle the absence of Lionel Messi

While supporters were left disappointed and disheartened by the news, many are looking forward to youngsters getting some invaluable minutes with the national team. Argentina is heading into a new era requiring the next generation to gain experience on the pitch without their captain. Exciting prospects including Matias Soule, Valentin Carboni, Alejandro Garnacho, and Valentin Castellanos can expect to be handed a major role by the coach next month.

With Angel Di Maria’s recent retirement coupled with Messi’s omission, Argentina will struggle to match its usual level of creativity. Such a scenario will need the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis Mac Allister to step up and take control of the midfield. The Copa America Golden Boot winner, Lautaro Martinez will shoulder the majority of the goal-scoring responsibilities.