Lionel Messi suffered a minor muscle injury in his right leg during the game against Necaxa in the second round of the League Cup. He has been out of action since, but Inter Miami managed to win their subsequent matches. Ahead of their clash with LA Galaxy, Messi’s status remains uncertain—he may start playing, or he may be sidelined.

Palmeiras striker Jose Manuel Lopez also received his first Argentina callup on Monday for World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador. Lopez caught the eye of coach Lionel Scaloni for his goal-scoring output at Palmeiras, where he joined in 2022 from Lanús. The center forward has 15 goals in 42 matches this year.