Argentina holds first World Cup practice without Messis presence

Argentina’s Lionel Messi Trains Alone During First Practice Session

Lionel Messi, captain of Inter Miami, attended Argentina’s first practice session at their training base in the United States on Monday. The team held a pretournament training session in Kansas City, Missouri, where several players are working to recover from fitness concerns.

Messi has been dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring since May 24 and is expected to be ready for Argentina’s opener against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City. During the practice session, Messi worked on “specific exercises” alongside teammates who are also recovering from injuries or niggles.

Argentina’s Football Association reported that players suffering from injuries continue to work with the physiotherapy team on specific exercises on the pitch and are making progress. The team will play their final tune-up match against Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama.

Messi is competing in his record sixth World Cup and is Argentina’s all-time leader in caps (198) and goals (116) since making his debut with the national team in 2005.

Source: Al Jazeera