Scaloni has not discussed Argentina future with Messi

Argentina's interim coach Lionel Scaloni says he does not know when - or if - Lionel Messi will return to international duty.

Published : Oct 02, 2018 01:00 IST

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has skipped the international friendlies since the World Cup.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has skipped the international friendlies since the World Cup.
lightbox-info

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has skipped the international friendlies since the World Cup.

Lionel Messi's international future remains unclear after Argentina's interim coach Lionel Scaloni said he has not spoken to the Barcelona star about when he will return to the squad.

Messi, who captained Argentina at the World Cup, is yet to comment on when he may be available again, having skipped a pair of friendlies in September.

The 31-year-old, a frustrated figure during Russia 2018, is not included in Scaloni's squad for games against Iraq and Brazil this month either.

And Scaloni, in charge on a temporary basis as Argentina seek a successor to Jorge Sampaoli, is unclear on when he may be able to select Messi.

"I spoke with Messi about 10 days ago, after the talk we made the final decision he is not to be called up," Scaloni said at a news conference on Monday.

"We do not talk about what could happen in a while, we talked about how the team played because honestly Leo sees everything. 

"But not beyond that because in my head we have not planned more than six games."

RELATED | Messi should retire from Argentina duty – Maradona

Argentina legend Diego Maradona has told Messi to retire from international duty, claiming he receives too much criticism for the team's results.

"The under-15s lose and it's Messi's fault," Maradona told Clarin . "The fixture in Argentina puts Racing against Boca and Messi is to blame. It's always his fault. I would say, 'Don't go anymore'. Let's see if they can handle it."

Juan Foyth and Rodrigo De Paul have been called up to the Argentina squad for the first time for the upcoming Iraq and Brazil matches.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment