Football fans with jerseys of Argentina's captain Lionel Messi wait for the arrival of the Argentine team at the airport in El Alto on Sunday

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Messi a doubtful starter in Argentina vs Bolivia clash

By Our Reporter On Sep 11, 2023 0

Excited Bolivian fans gathered at the La Paz international airport to welcome Lionel Messi ahead of Argentina’s World Cup qualifying game against the home team on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old Messi travelled with the defending World Cup champions but is not a certain starter at the game because of fatigue.

Meanwhile, Brazil, coached for the first time by Fernando Diniz cruised to a 5-1 win over Bolivia last Friday, and are preparing to face Peru with the same squad.

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia won their opening games in continental qualifying last week. All 10 South American teams will play their second games on Tuesday.

The 2026 edition of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is expanding to a 48-team format. The top six teams in South America will secure a direct spot. The seventh-place team will contest an intercontinental playoff for a berth.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told a news conference he will have against Bolivia a very similar line-up to the one that beat Ecuador on Thursday. Messi’s presence, however, could be decided hours before kick off. The match will take place at the Hernando Siles Stadium, which is more than 3,000-metre above sea level, a venue where visiting teams can struggle, particularly older players

Scaloni also said veteran Angel di Maria and striker Julian Alvarez could make it to his starting XI, probably replacing Nico Gonzalez and Lautaro Martinez.

“If all is well, the idea is to repeat or see some changes, which could be these two (Di Maria and Alvarez) entering,” the coach said. “There is a chance they will play, but we can make the decision on the morning before the match.”

If Messi sits out, Scaloni will have to come up with a solution to cover for a player who has no substitute.

Brazil coach Diniz has a one-year contract, which ends precisely at the same time Carlo Ancelotti’s deal with Real Madrid is set to expire. Ancelotti is widely tipped to take over Brazil’s national team but local media has shown a lot of excitement for the attacking ideas of the 49-year-old Diniz due to the intensity of the Selecao’s game against Bolivia.