Instead of starting, Lionel Messi only played 15 minutes off the bench in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Uruguay on Friday.
And, among other football news from the World Cup qualifiers, Lionel Scaloni has explained this cameo from Lionel Messi. The Argentina head coach claims he played Messi off the bench for 15 minutes in Friday’s 1-0 win over Uruguay in preparation for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil.
Among news of football transfers, Messi had missed the previous two games for PSG due to knee and hamstring injuries. But he came on as a 76th-minute replacement against Uruguay.
Scaloni had indicated before the game that Messi was “excellent” and “wants to play”.
Later, though, Scaloni revealed that he only played him for a few minutes to prepare him for Argentina’s next match. The coach will play his Argentina captain against Brazil, who are currently leading the qualification rankings.
Messi Only Played 15 Minutes Off the Bench in Argentina’s 1-0 Win
Scaloni answered questions about Messi’s cameo during the news conference.
“His entry in the second half serves to get the rhythm ahead of the game with Brazil,” Scaloni said.
“We decided not to play him in the starting line-up because he’s coming off some inactivity and the game was going to be like the one that happened,” the Argentina head coach continued.
Argentina’s first win in Uruguay in 12 years extended their unbeaten record to 26 games, according to Scaloni. And it was a “massive step” towards World Cup qualification.
