Scaloni says Messi could return before the World Cup opener.

Lionel Messi has made progress in his injury recovery and could appear for a few minutes in Argentina’s upcoming friendlies before the World Cup opener, coach Lionel Scaloni said on Friday.

“Leo is doing well, he has already trained partly with the group, he’s no longer completely separated,” Scaloni said. “It’s possible he’ll play a few minutes in the friendlies. We’ll see whether that’s tomorrow’s game or the other one.”

The defending World Cup champions will face Honduras in College Station, Texas, on Saturday and Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday.

“He’s much better and that gives us peace of mind,” Scaloni added.

The national team’s medical staff is focused on Messi, who suffered a left hamstring strain in Inter Miami’s last match and was not expected to play against Honduras.

Scaloni also confirmed that goalkeeper Juan Musso of Atlético Madrid will start the match against Honduras at Kyle Field, after first‑choice keeper Emiliano Martínez fractured the ring finger of his right hand during the Europa League final warm‑up.

Martínez will be sidelined for both friendlies but should be available for the opener against Algeria. The coaching staff will also give minutes to debutant Santiago Beltrán, the young River Plate goalkeeper called up for the friendlies.

In defence, right backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are recovering from muscle tears, and the staff has called up Agustín Giáy and Nicolás Capaldo to replace them in the friendlies.

Centre‑back Cristian Romero is already training with the squad after a knee sprain in April, though he lacks match fitness. Scaloni will decide whether to give him minutes or wait a few more days. Nicolás Paz is also training separately after a heavy knee hit and is ruled out for the Honduras game, with a World Cup debut uncertain.

Leandro Paredes and Julián Álvarez arrived at the Argentina camp in Kansas with physical issues. Although they are improving, it is unclear whether they will play in the warm‑up matches.

“The situation is improving,” Scaloni said. “They’re fine, and we don’t want to risk them in these games, and the idea is surely that (the injured players) won’t take part in these friendlies.”

“In this one (against Honduras), definitely not,” he added. “In the second, there might be a chance that one of them could play.”

Scaloni said the coming week will show “exactly where we stand.”

“For now everything is going quite well, and next week we’ll see,” he said.

Argentina will begin their World Cup campaign on 16 June against Algeria in Kansas City.

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