Why isn’t Lionel Messi playing for Argentina against Jordan?
Head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that he will rotate his team for the Group J finale, removing Messi from the starting XI.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi will be rested for the Group J game against Jordan on Saturday, but he could still feature from the substitute’s bench.
Speaking on Friday Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that Messi would start on the bench for the team’s group stage finale, having already wrapped up top spot in the group with two wins from the opening two games.
“Leo will go to the bench,” Scaloni said. “I’ll hold off on the final starting lineup, but Leo will come in later.”
Messi has been in irresistible form this summer, scoring five goals in the first two games. He leads the scoring charts and has tally his career World Cup tally to 18 goals, breaking the all-time tournament scoring record.
Argentina happy to rotate against Jordan
In terms of the Group J standings, there is nothing at stake in Saturday’s Argentina-Jordan game. Argentina will finish top, while Jordan are already guaranteed to finish bottom of the group.
However the fixture does give coaches the chance to rotate their teams and offer precious World Cup minutes to other members of their squads. Scaloni hinted that he might look to give minutes to the likes of Valentín Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios and Guiliano Simeone, with backup goalkeepers Juan Musso and Gerónimo Rulli also pushing for an appearance.
“The great merit of everything that’s been done goes to the boys who are always there and train to the max,” Scaloni said on Friday. “I think that when there’s an opportunity, there are great players who also deserve to come in. And the idea is for the team to play in the same way.”
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