As Argentina prepare for their upcoming friendly against Venezuela on Friday, October 10 in Miami, Lionel Messi and his teammates received word of a last-minute schedule change to their second friendly of the US tour — originally set to be played against Puerto Rico.
The match, which was initially scheduled for Monday, October 13 in Chicago, will no longer take place on that date or in that city. Instead, it has been moved to Tuesday, October 14 and will now be played in Miami.
According to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, Lionel Scaloni’s side will face Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium — home of Inter Miami — with kickoff time still to be confirmed.
The change means Argentina will now play both of their friendlies in Miami, avoiding additional travel across the US. The team has been training in South Florida, where the Argentine Football Association recently began construction of a new high-performance training facility.
Messi in doubt for Argentina’s first friendly
For Argentina’s opening match against Venezuela, head coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to field a lineup featuring most of his regular starters. The only question mark is Lionel Messi, who isn’t fully fit after playing the full 90 minutes in seven straight matches for Inter Miami over the past 21 days. As a result, Franco Mastantuono or Nico Paz could step in for him.
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During a press conference, Scaloni said he plans to talk with Messi to evaluate his condition, emphasizing that there’s no intention to take any risks. “We’re going to talk with him and with everyone,” Scaloni told reporters. “The idea is not to risk anyone. These are friendlies, and while the national team is important, anyone with even a minor issue won’t be risked. But if they’re fit, they’ll play”.
Looking ahead to the second friendly against Puerto Rico, Scaloni is expected to give minutes to players who haven’t had much time with the national team in recent call-ups.
Palmeiras striker Jose Manuel Lopez could make his debut for Argentina, along with goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club), defender Lautaro Rivero (River Plate), and midfielder Anibal Moreno (Palmeiras).
