Martino refuses to rule out Messi

Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino remained tight-lipped over whether Lionel Messi would be fit to play in his side’s Copa America Centenario opener against Chile.

Messi is currently nursing a back injury that he suffered in the friendly victory over Honduras on May 27th.

The Barcelona forward only joined up with the national team on Friday, after appearing at a trial for tax evasion last week.

“Regarding Lionel Messi we are going to see and wait until the training session in the afternoon, once we are leaving to the training field later, we’ll determine his situation.

“Really, the first thing we do is to hear the doctor that is the most important voice in this kind of situations. Then there’s a second voice that, in this case it’s his voice (Messi), because he is the one that feels better or worse, with pain or no pain. Afterwards it is clear in that we… or in my case me, will tell him my point of view regarding the sporting situation, but there’s an issue regarding the physical discomfort, the pain that only the player knows.

“My opinion is valid, but in the end if the player says that he feels in the right condition to play, there’s no doubt , that even if it doesn’t turn out right, he’ll (Lionel Messi)play, and is clear that if he (Lionel Messi) feels he is not in the right shape to play, he won’t play.”

Martino played down the significance of taking on Chile after the two teams played out last year’s final, with the Chileans winning on penalties.

“Really it is the same question they made us answer when we played the last game in the qualifiers; the final of the Copa America in Chile, one year ago, Chile won on penalties, it’s history.

“The possibility of a final in this Copa America between the same teams, won’t give us an opportunity of revenge; it will give us a new opportunity. What happened before doesn’t matter as we couldn’t take advantage of that game.”