COPA AMÉRICA
Argentina possible lineup against Ecuador in the 2024 Copa América match: Will Messi play?
Messi watched Argentina’s final group stage game against Peru from the dugout. Will Scaloni risk bringing the captain back for the quarter finals?
Argentina eased through the 2024 Copa América group stage, finishing the first round with a 100 percent record - one of three teams to have posted three wins from three (Venezuela and Uruguay being the others) but the only one yet to have conceded a single goal at the tourmament.
Boost for Argentina as Messi returns to training
The world champions closed the group stage with a comfortable 2-0 win against in Miami - a game which captain Lionel Messi watched from the sidelines. The Inter Miami star had complained of muscular pains following the previous match against Chile. After undergoing a series of tests and kinesiology sessions, medical staff detected a minor adductor injury and decided that the No.10 should sit out the Peru game.
Left-back Marcos Acuña was also ruled out of the Peru game after picking up a muscle injury in training - Nicolás Tagliafico started in his place. Ahead of Thursday’s quarter final against Ecuador in Houston, coach Lionel Scaloni has practically a fully fit squad.
Messi was seen training as normal on Wednesday, which suggests that he could be available to return against Ecuador, as he chases the record for top goal scorer of all time in the Copa America. The only question is whether he will start the game or if Scaloni will stick with the same front three who played the last game - Di María, Lautaro and Garnacho, with Leo on the bench. There is also the possibility that Argentina could revert back to a 4-4-2 with Julián Alvarez, rested in the last game, making a return.
Elswhere, it looks like Acuña won’t be risked and Tagliafico will keep his place in the back four. Other players could be given a run-out - for example Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández who have flitted in and out of the side since the tournament started.
Argentina possible starting XI against Ecuador
Emiliano Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández or Gio Lo Celso; Messi or Di María, Julián Alvarez or Lautaro Martínez, Nico González or Di María.
As for Ecuador, they are at full strength and will be aiming to register their first win against the South American rivals in almost a decade. Their last victory against Argentina was in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in October 2015 - a game which Messi missed.
The 2024 Copa América quarter final between Argentina and Ecuador will be played on Thursday 4 July 2024 at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, kicking off at 8 p.m. EDT/ 5 p.m. PDT. The winners will face the team which emerges from Friday’s quarter final clash between Venezuela and Canada.