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Lionel Messi is set to return to action for Argentina in their final warm-up match ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with head coach Lionel Scaloni confirming that the captain will feature against Iceland on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama.
Messi missed Argentina's 2-0 friendly victory over Honduras on June 6 despite taking part in the pre-match warm-up, as he continued his recovery from muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. The Inter Miami forward joined the national team camp after experiencing discomfort during his club's MLS fixture against the Philadelphia Union before the league paused for the World Cup. Speaking ahead of the Iceland clash, Scaloni said Argentina would carefully manage the workload of several players, including the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. "Messi will play, I just don't know how many minutes," Scaloni said in a news conference, according to ESPN. "I still need to talk to him in today's training, and we will see how many minutes he plays to avoid any type of risks. We will decide, but in principle he will play." The Argentina coach added that the squad's minutes would be monitored closely as the reigning world champions prepare for their title defence. "We're going to distribute the minutes of the players who will play tomorrow to try to avoid any mishaps," said the World Cup-winning coach. Scaloni also confirmed that Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are available for selection after recovering from injuries that had forced them to train separately in recent days. Meanwhile, the coach provided positive updates on Julian Alvarez and Leandro Paredes, both of whom have been dealing with fitness concerns. "Julian Alvarez is doing well; he has an ankle discomfort that's going away," Scaloni said. "Lea Paredes is also coming along well; in the next few days, he'll be able to rejoin the group." Argentina are still weighing options to replace defender Leonardo Balerdi, who was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a calf injury and leaving the squad last week. "We'll have a clearer picture tomorrow after the match regarding his replacement," Scaloni said. "We can cover Balerdi's position, but we are also looking at other options depending on how the rest of the injured players progress." Argentina open their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J. (ANI)
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