Lionel Messi will begin Argentina's final group match against Jordan on the substitutes' bench, coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed, according to ESPN.
Summary
Argentina captain Lionel Messi will start the team's final group stage match against Jordan on Saturday from the substitutes' bench, coach Lionel Scaloni has said, as reported by ESPN.
The Details
According to ESPN, Scaloni confirmed the decision in a press conference ahead of the match. The coach did not elaborate on the reasons for the change, but the move suggests Argentina are looking to manage Messi's workload with the knockout stages in mind. Argentina have already secured qualification to the next round, making this a low-stakes fixture for the South American side.
The match against Jordan is scheduled for Saturday, with kick-off time and venue to be confirmed. Messi has been a key figure for Argentina throughout the tournament, scoring and assisting in previous group games.
What It Means
Starting Messi on the bench allows Argentina to rest their star player while still having the option to introduce him later if needed. It also gives other squad members a chance to impress Scaloni ahead of the knockout phase. For Jordan, facing an Argentina side without Messi from the start could be a slight advantage, though the defending champions remain formidable even without their talisman.
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Source: Reported by ESPN. Summary compiled by NinetyMins.
