No Messi, Di Maria in Argentina squad for first time in 11 years

FE Team | Published: August 20, 2024 22:14:30

Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Agencies): Lionel Messi will not play in Argentina's next two World Cup qualifiers because of injury.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni announced his 28-man squad on Monday for the matches against Chile on September 05 and Colombia five days later.
Messi is still recovering from a right ankle injury.
The 36-year-old Ángel Di María, who retired from the national team after winning the recent Copa America, is not on the list either.
The transition period at the Argentina national team has well and truly begun. For the first time in 11 years, the football team squad will not include talismans Messi and Di Maria. World Cup champion Argentina leads South American qualifying with 15 points after six matches.
Coach Scaloni named midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez and striker Valentin Castellanos for the first time, along with young players with few international caps, including Alejandro Garnacho, Valentin Carboni, Valentin Barco and Matias Soule. The last time both players were not named in the squad was in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in 2013, when the Argentine team had already qualified for the showpiece tournament. While Angel di Maria has already announced his retirement from international football, Messi is reported to be recovering from his injury sustained in the Copa America Final.
Lionel Messi was left in tears on Argentina's bench after being substituted due to an injury during the Copa America final against Colombia on July 15. The 37-year-old exited the match with a non-contact injury after chasing the ball on defence, limping off the pitch in tears. Earlier in the match, Messi had gone down with an apparent leg injury while attempting to kick the ball before it went out of bounds. He planted his right leg awkwardly and seemed to make contact with Colombia's Santiago Arias.
Messi writhed in pain, clutching his lower right leg, and rolled over several times. Trainers attended to him for a few minutes before helping him to his feet. He walked slowly towards the sideline but later reentered the game. Messi had been dealing with a leg injury and discomfort throughout much of the tournament, causing him to miss Argentina's group-stage finale. He managed one shot attempt in the first half in the game.