Messi's adductor injury will prevent him from playing in two World Cup qualifiers this month

Despite having just completed 90 minutes and scored for Inter Miami, Lionel Messi has not been included in Argentina's newly announced squad for the March World Cup qualifiers. Inter Miami confirmed in a statement that Messi has a low-grade injury to his adductor muscle, which will prevent him from playing in Argentina's upcoming matches against Brazil and Uruguay.

In the MLS match last weekend, Messi started and played the full game, helping Inter Miami score the first goal in the match against Atlanta United. This was his first time in the starting lineup since the end of February, after he missed three consecutive games due to "load management" and came off the bench in the CONCACAF Champions League against Cavaliers.

However, Messi still felt discomfort in his adductor muscle after the game, and the club arranged for him to undergo an MRI on Monday, which later confirmed a minor injury. "Messi's recovery and response to treatment will determine when he can return to the field," Inter Miami said in a statement.

Miami Inter coach Javier Mascherano has repeatedly stressed that Messi has not suffered a serious injury, but the team is carefully controlling his game load to prevent more serious injuries.

"We just wanted to take the load off Messi and prevent the problem from getting worse. Luckily, we managed to control it and not make it worse," Mascherano said ahead of the game against Atalanta.

In addition, he revealed that Miami International has been in communication with the Argentine national team's medical team to ensure that Messi's health is properly handled: "The Argentine team doctor and the club team doctor are always in contact. I personally have not communicated with the national team coaching staff, but if necessary, I will communicate at any time."

Messi was originally included in Argentina's 33-man preliminary list, but due to injury, he will miss two World Cup qualifiers this month.

Currently, Argentina leads the South American World Cup qualifying standings with 25 points and is at the top of the table after 12 games.