“Messi May Rest for Argentina vs Peru in Copa America”, “Lionel Messi is contemplating sitting out Argentina’s upcoming Copa America match against Peru to recuperate from a sore thigh.
With the team having secured qualification to the next round after two victories, Messi’s potential absence aims to ensure his fitness for subsequent crucial matches.”
Messi, who turned 37 this week and has been suffering muscle niggles, required brief medical treatment on his thigh during Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile at the U.S.-hosted tournament.
“Lionel Messi, despite dealing with a sore thigh, completed the full 90 minutes in Argentina’s recent Copa America match against Peru. He played a pivotal role in the team’s attacks, narrowly missing a goal with a long-range shot that hit the post.”
“It bothers me a bit, but I was able to stay on until the end. I hope it’s nothing serious … I wasn’t able to move properly because of the bother,” he said, acknowledging it might be wiser to sit out the Peru game on Saturday.
“Let’s see how the next few days go, how I recover. We’ve taken an important step to qualify and be relaxed. It’s a lot of games, a lot of travelling,” added Messi, saying he had also suffered from a sore throat and fever before the Chile game.v
With a 2-0 win over Canada also under their belt, world champions and tournament favourites Argentina are looking comfortable in the early stages of the Copa America even if not at their scintillating best.
Argentina are happy to have started the Copa with routine wins after the unwanted drama of their last major tournament when they opened the World Cup in Qatar with a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in one of the all-time shocks.