Scaloni gives encouraging update on Messi fitness

Lionel Messi has taken a step forward in his injury recovery and could play a few minutes in Argentina’s upcoming friendlies before their World Cup opener, coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday.

“Leo is doing well, he has already trained partly with the group, he’s no longer completely separated,” Scaloni said. “It’s possible he’ll play a few minutes in the friendlies. We’ll see whether that’s tomorrow’s game or the other one.”

Defending World Cup champions Argentina will take on Honduras in College Station, Texas, on Saturday and play Iceland on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama.

“He’s much better and that gives us peace of mind,” Scaloni said.

The medical staff of the Argentine national team has plenty of work, starting with their star Messi, who suffered a strain in his left hamstring in Inter Miami’s last match and was not expected to play against Honduras.

Scaloni also confirmed that goalkeeper Juan Musso, of Atletico Madrid, will start the game against Honduras at Kyle Field, given that his first-choice keeper, Emiliano Martinez, suffered a fracture in the ring finger of his right hand during the warm-up for the Europa League final.

Team medical staff has decided to hold him out of both friendlies, although Martinez should be available for the opener against Algeria.

Scaloni will also give minutes to debutant Santiago Beltran, the young River Plate goalkeeper called up for the friendlies.

In defense, right backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are recovering from muscle tears, and the coaching staff has called up Agustin Giay and Nicolas Capaldo to replace them in the friendlies.

Center-back Cristian Romero is already training with the group after the knee sprain he suffered in April, although he comes in without match fitness.

Scaloni will have to decide whether to give him minutes or wait a few more days. Another case drawing scrutiny is that of Nicolas Paz, who is training separately after taking a heavy hit to his knee.

He has been ruled out for the Honduras game and will be cutting it close for the World Cup debut. Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez also arrived at Argentina’s camp in Kansas with physical issues. Although they are improving, it is uncertain whether they will get any playing time in the warm-up matches.

“The situation is improving,” Scaloni said. “They’re fine, and we don’t want to risk them in these games, and the idea is surely that (the injured players) won’t take part in these friendlies.

“In this one (against Honduras), definitely not,” he added. “In the second, there might be a chance that one of them could play.”

Scaloni said the coming week will show “exactly where we stand.”

“For now everything is going quite well, and next week we’ll see,” he said.

Argentina are set to begin their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.