Argentina’s Messi ready to play WC qualifier against Venezuela

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is ready to return to their line-up when they play Venezuela in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, but midfielder Alexis Mac Allister’s availability is in doubt, manager Lionel Scaloni said.

Argentina were boosted by the return of Messi for their World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia after the 37-year-old recovered from a right ankle injury, which he picked up during the Copa America final against Colombia in July.

Messi, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, had missed their qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

“Messi is fine. He played several games for his team in recent weeks, after not being in the last call-up, which was what we had agreed because he needed to recover and get more minutes,” Scaloni told reporters on Tuesday.

“Leo is training with the squad and is ready to be part of the team to play against Venezuela, who will be a great rival.”

Liverpool’s Mac Allister was replaced at half time during the club’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend.

“He (Mac Allister) is training separately. We’ll see if he makes it to the first game,” Scaloni said.

“For now, he hasn’t been able to join us, and, well, we’ll make the decision if he’s part of the squad or on the bench or if he plays on Thursday. But it’s difficult for him to make it today.

“I think we have to take care of him. He’s a guy who has a lot of games under his belt and that’s the situation today. We hope we don’t lose any more players because the situation can change later.”

Argentina forward Alejandro Garnacho will miss the match against Venezuela due to discomfort in his left knee.

The 20-year-old Manchester United winger completed Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League but will not join up with the Argentina squad.

Argentina are set to face Venezuela at the Monumental Stadium of Maturin on Thursday, and with the team training at Inter Miami’s training centre in Florida, Scaloni said his side was worried about Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton barreled toward Florida’s battered Gulf Coast as an enormous Category 5 storm on Tuesday, triggering massive traffic jams and fuel shortages as officials ordered more than 1 million people to flee before it slams into the Tampa Bay area.

“We work, we work calmly, the truth is that the training place is perfect, we work well, but it is always around this issue and especially when there is the security issue, it is a delicate issue,” Scaloni said.

“The match is important, but safety is much more important. So when you talk about wind, hurricanes, that it happens near, that it happens far away, that the airport closes, well, whether you like it or not, it worries you.

“We are worried and we are waiting to see if it is true that we can leave tomorrow, they say that we will be able to leave in the afternoon. We don’t have any certainties, but well, on that side we are worried.”

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace full-back Daniel Munoz has been ruled out of Colombia’s World Cup qualifiers due to an adductor strain, the South American country’s football federation said.

The 28-year-old has been replaced in the squad by Andres Roman, who was rewarded for his consistent performances with Colombian side Atletico Nacional, reports Xinhua.

Munoz, 28, suffered an injury on Saturday during’s match against Liverpool.

The federation confirmed it is a “muscle injury,” providing no further details on the issue.

This is a significant blow for coach Nestor Lorenzo, as Munoz was one of the standout players in last summer’s Copa America, where Colombia finished as runners-up after losing to Argentina, a match that Munoz missed due to suspension.

Colombia will meet Bolivia in El Alto at more than 4,100 meters above sea level on Thursday before facing Chile in Barranquilla five days later.

The Cafeteros will prepare for the rarefied air of El Alto by staying in the city of Cochabamba - at an altitude of around 2,560 meters - until the day of the match.

Agencies