Argentina drops Lionel Messi from international friendly against Costa Rica

Argentina captain Lionel Messi will not join his teammates on the field for their international friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday, Sportstar reported.

The 36-year-old soccer legend recently suffered a leg muscle injury which has kept him out of the the international break.

Previously, Messi's unfortunate injury kept him out of action for his club Inter Miami.

When did Messi suffer leg injury?

Earlier this month, the Argentine forward suffered a left ankle twist during Inter Miami's 2-2 draw against Nashville SC in their Concacaf Champions Cup match, leaving him writhing in pain.

His ankle twisted after his left leg was kicked in the calf area by an opposing player.

After his injury, Messi attempted to get back on the field against DC United in a Major League Soccer clash on March 16.

However, he was subbed off in the second-half after scoring a goal as he couldn't bare the pain.

"He is overloaded in the right posterior. We don’t want to run a risk. We tried to see if he could go for a little longer, but it was bothering him, so we preferred for him to just get out of the game,” Miami head coach Tata Martino said after that match.

When will Messi return?

Argentina are set to face Costa Rica at the United Airlines Field at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles without Messi.

However, according to Sportstar, reports suggest Messi might be back for Inter Miami for a Champions Cup clash with Monterrey on April 3 but the exact date of Messi’s return is yet to be determined.