Question marks have been hanging over Lionel Messi’s fitness ahead of Argentina’s Copa America clash with Chile.
Messi had to come off in the second half of La Albiceleste’s 1-0 friendly win over Honduras on May 28 and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has subsequently described the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as “recovering from a blow on the back and ribs”.
The 28-year-old forward has been training in the build-up to Monday’s match, although the AFA on Saturday said he was doing “different” work to the main group, and whether Messi features in the game remains to be seen.
At the 2015 Copa America he helped Argentina reach the final, where they were beaten by hosts Chile on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
The two sides also met in March in a World Cup qualifier in Chile that Argentina won 2-1, and they now come together once more in Santa Clara, California as their 2016 Copa America campaigns get under way.
They are in Group D along with Panama and Bolivia - who face off in Orlando on Monday - and are both expected to progress from the pool, with it only appearing a question of who out of Argentina and Chile finishes top.
That places extra emphasis on Monday’s Santa Clara game - but Argentina midfielder Augusto Fernandez has been keen to stress each fixture in the group stage must be viewed as important.
“We know the importance of the first meeting, but also the other two will be crucial,” said Fernandez, quoted on the AFA website.
He added: “Chile are a very dynamic rival and we have to be solid, strong defensively and in attack.”
Since the 2015 Copa America final, Gerardo Martino’s Argentina have lost only once in nine games and won each of their last four.
Chile - managed by Juan Antonio Pizzi, who succeeded Jorge Sampaoli in January - are in far less impressive form, with only one of their past six matches having ended in victory and four of them having been defeats, including the last two.
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