"We don’t think anything about Messi" - Lionel Scaloni responds when asked if Lionel Messi will feature for Argentina in June international break

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has insisted he will not think about selecting Lionel Messi until he returns to full fitness. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is set to miss their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Brazil (March 25) due to injury.

Messi suffered a knock during Inter Miami's recent fixture against Atlanta United. Despite playing the full 90 minutes during their 2-1 win, the Argentine icon sustained a strain to his adductor. He consequently missed his nation's 1-0 win over Uruguay and has since trained individually, with the Herons opting to take a precautionary approach, as per reports.

During the pre-match press conference ahead of facing Brazil, Scaloni was asked about Lionel Messi's chances of featuring for Argentina in June. He replied (via Nogomania):

“We don’t think anything about Messi until we know if he is fit. We are not worried about him now. We have to find the way to play without him."

Argentina will be hoping to have Lionel Messi fit and available for their upcoming World Cup qualifier fixtures in June. They are scheduled to face Chile (June 4) and Colombia (June 9).

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"The idea is to put in a good performance against a great opponent" - Scaloni on Brazil clash as Argentina prepare for World Cup qualifier in Lionel Messi's absence

Lionel Scaloni has admitted Argentina will stick to their game-plan and aim to keep the ball in Brazil's half in their upcoming World Cup qualifier. The two sides are set to face each other at the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires (Tuesday, March 25).

La Albiceleste looked impressive as a unit despite missing Lionel Messi during their 1-0 win over Uruguay (March 21). After a slow first half, the visitors sealed all three points following Thiago Almada's 68th-minute winner. On the other hand, Brazil defeated Colombia 2-1 with Vinicius Junior and Raphinha getting on the scoresheet.

During the press conference, Scaloni stated (via @AlbicelesteTalk on X):

“We’re going to try to play our game, ideally in the opponent’s half if possible. I imagine it will be a similar match to the one against Uruguay, but hopefully, it will be more like the second half than the first. It’s a great match to show that the team is still going strong, and the idea is to put in a good performance against a great opponent. We have to find a way to play without Messi. We try to develop a system so that his absence is felt as little as possible.”

Lionel Messi's side are currently first in the CONMEBOL standings with 28 points from 13 games, seven points above third-placed Brazil.