This footage was filmed and produced 11 October 2023.

The technical director of the Argentine national team, Lionel Scaloni, found captain Lionel Messi "well", affected by a muscle discomfort in the last month, and linked the definition of whether he will play as a starter or be on the substitute bench to a conversation with the player. in tomorrow's match against Paraguay, for the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

"We have one more training session left and it is very important. I will talk to him and decide if he plays at the start or not. Based on that, the team can change," the coach confided in a press conference from the AFA grounds during the match. Buenos Aires from Ezeiza.

Scaloni will consult him in practice this afternoon about "how he feels" and will make his decision considering also the next match, which Argentina will face Peru, in Lima, next Tuesday the 17th.

SOUNDBITE TRANSLATION. Lionel Scaloni, Coach of the Argentine Football Team:
"Convinced that he can play at the start, he seemed good, he seemed loose, but hey, we will talk before training. Based on that we will see the rest of the team (…) The calendar involves playing, playing and playing and there are times "that you are fine and nothing is wrong with you and there are times when the schedule takes its toll. What I can tell you is that we are at a point in the season in which the players are feeling the schedule."