Argentina football team to say today if Messi in squad
Argentina's new coach is set to announce whether superstar striker Lionel Messi has abandoned his vow to quit and will rejoin the squad for looming World Cup qualifiers.
National coach Edgardo Bauza met with Messi in Barcelona this week hoping to convince him to rejoin the squad after he said in June he was quitting.
Bauza was due to announce his list of players for games against Uruguay on September 1 and Venezuela on September 6. A news conference was scheduled for the announcement at 2100 GMT on Friday.
"I sense that Messi wants" to rejoin the squad, Bauza told reporters on arriving back in Buenos Aires on Friday.
"I have no doubt that he wants to rejoin the national team... I will talk to him today and finish my list."
The Barcelona striker abruptly announced his international retirement after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile on June 26.
Messi, who missed a crucial penalty, left the pitch in tears after the match, saying: "For me, the national team is over."
Argentina have suffered a string of disappointing losses in big tournaments with Messi, including the World Cup final in 2014.
Bauza took over the job from Gerardo Martino and was tasked with turning things around ahead of the 2018 World Cup, amid a management crisis at the Argentine Football Association.