Messi was injured in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile on June 26 and had to be treated on the sidelines in the first half. After that match, the 37-year-old superstar confirmed that he felt discomfort in his hamstring. on his right.
“I felt a little discomfort in my right hamstring at the start of the match. It was tight but I was able to finish the match. I will have to wait for the doctors to say anything. In the first half, my adductor muscle was stiff. I didn’t feel a puncture or a tear, but I found it difficult to move freely,” Messi said in a post-match interview.
ESPN Argentina recently confirmed that Messi will not play in the final match in the Copa America group stage against Peru on June 30. Previously, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni also said after the win over Chile that he expected to make some changes to the starting lineup first, to give younger players the opportunity to play.
“We are happy, now we can enjoy the coming days and play our youngest players,” said the World Cup winner. “I think it is fair to have players who have not played yet.”
Exequiel Palacios, Guido Rodriguez, Valentin Carboni and Alejandro Garnacho have yet to play a minute in Copa America 2024 after Argentina’s past two matches, although they all appeared in friendly matches against Guatemala and Ecuador. ESPN Argentina’s source added that Garnacho is one of the players most likely to play in the match against Peru.
The match against Peru no longer means much to Argentina. Two consecutive victories over Canada and Chile guaranteed the Tango team a ticket to the quarterfinals. The defending tournament champion is almost certain to win first place in Group A.
