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Due to muscle soreness, Argentina skipper Lionel Messi was unable to train on June 27 in the afternoon. It is uncertain if he will play against Peru during their last Copa America group stage match. According to Argentine media sources, Argentina exercised at the Miami International University sports ground without Messi, who endured kinesiology sessions and medical tests.
Messi, who turned 37 last week and has been experiencing nagging muscle pain, needed a quick medical procedure on his thigh on June 24 during Argentina's 1-0 tournament victory against Chile, which was held in the United States.
The former FC Barcelona superstar spoke about his injury after the Peru game as he said, "My adductor got a bit stiff and I couldn't stay loose, it was bothering me a little bit, but I was able to finish the game, so I'll see how it evolves over the next few days."
The Inter Miami midfielder suggested it could be better to miss the June 29 match against Peru, as his team has already advanced to the following round with two victories. Regarding the forward's fitness, the Argentine Football Association withheld a medical update. Marcos Acuna, the Sevilla full-back, also sustained a muscle ailment in Miami during training.
In the Group A championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on June 29, coach Lionel Scaloni announced that he would not play his first-choice players. It could be a good idea for the head coach to give the players some time off because Argentina has already advanced to the competition's last eight.
“I don’t pay attention to statistics, data” : Lionel Messi
Messi also shared his thoughts on statistics in football and why it doesn't worry him. Messi is now guiding Argentina in the Copa America 2024 in the USA. This, for both club and country, in spite of his incredible stats.
The former FC Barcelona playmaker said, “I don’t pay attention to statistics, data, assists, or goals. And sorry to the coaches, but even less to GPS. I’ve never cared about how much I run in a match or at what speed. It must be important for them and for day-to-day training loads, but I’ve never been a fan of GPS.”