Lionel Messi is back with the Argentina squad as they gear up for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers clash against Paraguay on Friday.
Lionel Scaloni decided to name Messi in the squad, despite a muscle injury that has troubled the Argentina captain for over a month
Messi suffered an injury during the 1-0 win against Ecuador in September and had to be taken off in the final minutes of the match
There was a cloud of uncertainity on Messi’s place in the starting 11 for Friday’s match but Scaloni has hinted the Argentine captain might not start
Messi has played just 37 minutes for his Major League Soccer side Inter Miami across their past five fixtures since the previous international break
The 36-year-old was last seen in the match against Eastern Conference leader Cincinnati, where his side lost and missed out on a spot in the playoff
Similarly, fellow midfielder Angel di Maria will also miss out on the match against Paraguay as he continues to recover from an injury
Following the World Cup triumph, Argentina has managed to win 6 out of 6 games in 2023 and will look to maintain the streak against Paraguay as well