The transition period at the Argentina national team has well and truly begun. For the first time in 11 years, the football team squad will not include talismans Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria. Argentina announced their 28-man preliminary squad for matches against Chile and Colombia on Monday, 19 August. Lionel Scaloni’s side did name all their top players, bar Messi, di Maria and Paulo Dybala.
The last time both players were not named in the squad was in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in 2013, when the Argentine team had already qualified for the showpiece tournament. While Angel di Maria has already announced his retirement from international football, Messi is reported to be recovering from his injury sustained in the Copa America Final.
Lionel Messi was left in tears on Argentina’s bench after being substituted due to an injury during the Copa America final against Colombia on July 15. The 37-year-old exited the match with a non-contact injury after chasing the ball on defence, limping off the pitch in tears. Earlier in the match, Messi had gone down with an apparent leg injury while attempting to kick the ball before it went out of bounds. He planted his right leg awkwardly and seemed to make contact with Colombia’s Santiago Arias.
Messi writhed in pain, clutching his lower right leg, and rolled over several times. Trainers attended to him for a few minutes before helping him to his feet. He walked slowly towards the sideline but later reentered the game. Messi had been dealing with a leg injury and discomfort throughout much of the tournament, causing him to miss Argentina’s group-stage finale. He managed one shot attempt in the first half in the game.
The talismanic forward has since missed his matches for Inter Miami at the Leagues Cup and Major League Soccer.
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers:
Walter Bentez (PSV Eindhoven)
Ger³nimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille)
Juan Musso (Atalanta)
Emiliano Martnez (Aston Villa)
Defenders:
Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla)
Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)
Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
Germán Pezzella (River Plate)
Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
Lisandro Martnez (Manchester United)
Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
Valentn Barco (Brighton)
Midfielders:
Leandro Paredes (AS Roma)
Guido Rodrguez (West Ham United)
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur)
Ezequiel Fernández (Al Qadsiah)
Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards:
Nicolás González (Fiorentina)
Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
Matas Soulé (AS Roma)
Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Valentn Carboni (Olympique de Marseille)
Julián lvarez (Atletico Madrid)
Lautaro Martnez (Inter)
Valentn Castellanos (Lazio)