The Etihad Stadium will be the venue for one of the several interesting friendlies of the ongoing international break. With league football being put on halt, Argentina is set to lock horns with Italy in a highly-anticipated encounter.
Unfortunately, the one of the biggest names in world football could miss this clash. Fans hoping to catch Lionel Messi in action could be left disappointed as rumors claim he might not even feature.
This is according to Ole, as per Marca. They claim the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has sustained a slight hamstring strain, making him a fitness doubt.
However, all hope is not lost yet. The newspaper claims Argentina’s coaching staff are confident that everything will be okay regarding the player’s fitness, with La Pulga being left out of the starting lineup being a measure that will be taken only if he is not at 100 percent.
If Messi is benched, Ever Banega will likely deputize for Sampaoli’s side. La Albiceleste will also play Spain in Madrid on Tuesday, but Leo should be fine for that match.
Should the Barcelona icon miss out on Friday's game, it will be interesting to see how the South American powerhouse will fare without their go-to player. Argentina showed during the World Cup qualifying stage that they struggle without the 30-year-old, with their manager even admitting that Messi might carry them on his shoulders during the summer tournament in Russia.
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