Messi, Neymar on the recovery path as coaches’ plans revealed

Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. will be playing in their sixth and fourth World Cups, respectively. While the 38-year-old Argentinian trained separately during his side’s first practice session in the United States on Monday as he continues his recovery from a hamstring issue, the 34-year-old Brazilian is also recovering from a calf injury, even as Carlo Ancelotti’s team touched down in the United States on Monday.

The Inter Miami captain has been sidelined since May 24 due to muscle fatigue in his left hamstring, but is expected to regain full fitness in time for Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16, according to ESPN.

Messi joined the national team at their base camp in Kansas City and completed an individual training programme on Monday. "The players who are suffering from niggles and injuries continue to work with the physiotherapy team on specific exercises on the pitch and are making good progress," Argentina's Football Association said.

While the Argentine football genius will be 42 when the next Word Cup in Morocco, Portugal and Spain arrives – Cristiano Ronaldo is already 41 and may even eye his home World Cup at the ripe old age of 45 – Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has asserted that his team’s talisman "will play until he wants", adding that it is his desire to want more out of his sport that still makes him one of the finest in the sport even at the age of 38.

"He will play until he wants to because we already know what he is and it is not surprising that he plays his sixth World Cup," Scaloni said in an exclusive interview with Diario Ole, as quoted by Goal.com.

Scaloni also highlighted that despite every record Messi has broken, every trophy won, he still stays at the top of his game because of his relentless drive for "more".

"He continues to be the best because he always wants more and shows he wants more," Scaloni added.

The Argentina head coach further said that the strategies involving Messi were based on mutual respect, rather than forcefully imposing strict physical restrictions and every step is evaluated and taken together.

Scaloni explained: "Every decision we have made, we have discussed with him. It is useless for me to sit here and say that I decide: in his case, and I think it is deserved, I will always talk to him and ask him how he is, and we see if we reach an agreement. I think it has to be that way, because I repeat, he, even being on the pitch with a lot of difficulties, has given us a lot. So there are times when it is even better that he is in difficulty because of everything he generates."

For Santos FC striker Neymar, Brazil coach Ancelotti has other plans. The Italian is in no hurry to rush his star forward back from his calf injury. "He's progressing well, he's doing well, we're in no rush," Ancelotti said after Brazil arrived in Newark.

Ancelotti has previously said Neymar would be fit for the Selecao's "first or second" group stage match at the global extravaganza in the US, Canada and Mexico.

The five-time winners begin their World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13.