Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that captain Lionel Messi will be available for the Copa America semifinal against Canada on Tuesday (Wednesday 4 am UAE Time) at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, despite concerns over his hamstring injury.
Messi, who returned to play in the quarterfinal victory over Ecuador last Thursday after missing the final group game due to injury, appeared to be physically affected during the match. The 37-year-old Inter Miami player also missed a penalty in the shootout at Houston's NRG Stadium.
Scaloni reassured during a Monday press conference, 'Leo (Messi) is fine, he finished well, so tomorrow he will be part of the match, we are calm. His level looks good. He is essential for us.'
This will be the second encounter between Argentina and Canada in the tournament, with Argentina having previously defeated the CONCACAF side 2-0 in the Group A opener. Scaloni hinted at tactical adjustments for the upcoming match, stating, 'All coaches take notes to correct mistakes and hurt our opponents. Each coach will have to do something different. We will try to have the ball and stop them from playing their game.'
Scaloni also addressed the challenge posed by Canada's physical and aggressive style of play, which was evident in their penalty shootout win against Venezuela. He noted, 'Canada has players who are physically strong and also technically good, with a coach who has conveyed an aggressive way of playing. They have made things difficult for all teams. Physically it's difficult to match them, but with our assets we hope to play the game on our side.'
