Lionel Messi posted a message following the confirmation of his absence on the FIFA date

Lionel Messi posted a story on Instagram expressing his regret for the injury that prevented him from participating in the Argentine national team's matches against Uruguay and Brazil in the South American Qualifiers. In his message, he expressed his desire to be there and reaffirmed his unconditional support for the team.

The Albiceleste captain explained that his injury is a minor discomfort but prevents him from being available to play. "A shame to miss these two very special matches with the National Team against Uruguay and Brazil. As always, I wanted to be there, but at the last moment, a not very important injury that forces me to stop for a while before playing again, left me out," Messi wrote.

The Inter Miami player, who had confirmed the diagnosis minutes earlier and described it as "low," added that he will cheer for the team from afar: "From here, I will be cheering and supporting like any other fan. Let's go Argentina!"

Shortly before Messi's post, Inter Miami announced that their captain suffered "a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle," which determined his absence from the Argentine national team's draft for the Qualifiers commitments.

The American club detailed in a report that the forward, 37 years old, underwent an MRI after the 2-1 victory against Atlanta United, in which he felt muscle discomfort. "His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability to compete," the institution noted on its social media.

Messi had returned to the starting line-up on Sunday in Georgia after overcoming a muscle overload that left him out of three matches. In that match, he scored a goal after an individual play, but at 64 minutes, he showed signs of pain after taking a shot inside the area. Although he remained on the field, he stopped taking set pieces.

Inter Miami is scheduled to face Philadelphia on March 29 in the MLS, and on April 3, they will visit Los Angeles F.C. for the Concachampions. However, the presence of the number 10 will depend on how his recovery progresses.

Meanwhile, the Argentine national team began their preparation this Monday at the Ezeiza complex ahead of the matches against Uruguay, on Friday at 8:30 PM at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, and against Brazil, on Tuesday at 9 PM at the Estadio Monumental.

Coach Lionel Scaloni is working on forming the team without their captain and main reference, Lionel Messi. In this context, the coach seeks to maintain the usual team structure, which would be as follows:

• Goalkeeper: Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez
• Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian "Cuti" Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, and Nicolás Tagliafico
• Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister
• Forwards: Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, and Nicolás González