Lionel Messi flew to the United States during this international break, but didn’t play in either of Argentina’s games. After aggravating a sore foot in training before the El Salvador match, he sat for the duration of the trip, and now Albiceleste boss Gerardo Martino says “it hurts too much to put his boots on.”
Backheel Breakfast: Waiting on Lionel Messi injury news
It’s probably nothing. Probably.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Messi will have tests on his foot to see what’s wrong, and Barcelona fans will be holding their breath until the results are revealed. In any event, don’t expect to see him play against Celta Vigo this weekend.
In the news
There's no mystery over David Alaba's injury status -- he's out seven weeks. (ESPN FC)
FC Porto have announced the sale of Danilo to Real Madrid. (FC Porto)
Graham Zusi will miss two weeks for Sporting KC with a hamstring injury. (MLS)
Agents aren’t liking FIFA’s new rules, and it seems like both sides have excellent points. (Guardian)
Tottenham Hotspur have struck a deal with the last business holding up their new stadium project. (BBC)
Steven Gerrard’s new Malibu house is awesome, and also a long commute from StubHub Center. (Mirror)
You should be reading
Iain McIntosh on how much he hates heat maps. (The Set Pieces)
John Ashdown on managers getting sacked after promotion and other fun stats. (Guardian)
Rory Smith on the Championship promotion race. (ESPN FC)
Fun with transfer rumors
The section in which nothing should be taken seriously.
Manchester City are going after Kevin de Bruyne. (Mirror)
PSG would like to make Hugo Lloris their new goalkeeper. (Mirror)
Theo Walcott could make a move to Chelsea. (Metro)
Yesterday’s games
The USMNT drew Switzerland, probably because of a Jozy Altidore red card. (SB Nation)
Mexico had no problem coasting past Paraguay. (SB Nation)
Cape Verde recorded a 2-0 upset win over Portugal. (Guardian)
Italy and England drew a fun, competitive game. (SB Nation)
Netherlands held onto an early two-goal lead against Spain. (SB Nation)
What to watch on Wednesday (click for listings, all times ET)
The only major competition that doesn’t care for your international breaks is Copa Libertadores. We applaud them.
San Lorenzo vs. Sao Paulo (6:45 p.m.) -- The defending champs are three points behind Sao Paulo and must avoid a loss, which would basically eliminate them.
Corinthians vs. Danubio (9 p.m.) -- Danubio are in worse shape than San Lorenzo. They have zero points, so this is a must-win.
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