Argentina coach Scaloni encouraged by news on Messi injury

AFP | Miami

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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the initial news regarding superstar Lionel Messi’s fitness “is not that bad” and hopes further examinations will confirm that diagnosis with the World Cup just a fortnight away.

Messi has been diagnosed with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring by his Major League Soccer club Inter Miami after he made an abrupt exit from Miami’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia in the 73rd minute on Sunday.

Even at 38 and eying a sixth World Cup finals appearance, Messi remains the side’s talisman for the defence of the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

“Obviously we would have preferred that nothing had happened,” Scaloni told Argentinian TV station DSports on Tuesday.

“Now one has to wait and see how it evolves and above all the new tests they are going to conduct in order to see if it confirms their original diagnosis.”