Argentina takes on Nicaragua in final friendly before Copa America

Argentina begins its Copa America campaign against Colombia on June 15.

Published : Jun 07, 2019 20:04 IST

Argentina players enjoy themselves during a practice session at their training camp in Ezeiza, Argentina.

Argentina will aim to put the final touches to its preparation for the 2019 edition of Copa America when it plays Nicaragua in an international friendly on Friday night in San Juan in Argentina.

It's the final match before Argentina's opening Copa America fixture against Colombia on June 15. Paraguay and Qatar are the two other teams in the group.

Lionel Messi, who is part of Lionel Scaloni's 23-man Copa America squad, has been among the big names involved in training since the last week of May.

Read: La Albiceleste turns attention to Copa America in quest for elusive trophy

Messi, who continues to chase his first major trophy with the national team, is expected to be involved in the friendly tonight, with forwards Sergio Aguero and Matias Suarez also likely to get minutes under their belt.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Scaloni said, "If we have a good performance as a team and, in addition, Messi does what he does every Sunday, we will surely do well."

Messi, however, has downplayed expectations by saying "Argentina is going through a process of change".

"It's the first official competition for most of them, but it doesn't mean Argentina are not going looking for the trophy. We're not candidates like other times," the playmaker further added.