How good is Argentina without Lionel Messi? We could find out on Monday night. Messi might not play in Argentina's Copa America opener against Chile (10 p.m. ET) because of an injury he suffered in a friendly on May 27. The Barcelona star took a knee to the back and was substituted off in the 64th minute.
Per ESPNFC, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said he will wait until pre-match practice to determine if his superstar will play.
"When it comes to [Messi], we're going to wait for the training in the afternoon," Martino said. "At 5:30 p.m. [PT], we're going to start the training and determine the situation.
"The first thing we do is listen to the doctor, which is the most important person in this kind of situation. After that we need to hear from Leo, he's the second most important voice in this situation because he is the one who knows he feels better."
If Messi doesn't play, Martino will likely go with Benfica star Nico Gaitan. And if Messi doesn't play, it's big news for Chile, who would likely be looked at as the favorite to win the match in that situation.
Messi's fitness race enters its final stretch. We'll know soon enough if he can go or not.
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