Keep Messi happy, check in on the walking wounded and maybe allow a defensive rock back from exile, Jorge Sampaoli has a busy time in Europe

Humiliation against Spain still in the back of the mind, Jorge Sampaoli has returned to Europe to speak to those players likely to go to Russia in only a couple of months. But ahead of such a big decision there are still plenty of question marks for the Argentina manager.

Keep Messi happy

Sampaoli’s first port of call was a meeting with captain Lionel Messi and so it didn’t take long for the mischievous media to suggest that the Barcelona star was giving instructions to Sampaoli regarding who is in and who is out for the World Cup.

Sampaoli met with Messi today in Barcelona. They talked about the World Cup and if he still had any discomfort in his leg. In the meeting, they didn’t take about who is going to the World Cup, but how they will approach it. [md] pic.twitter.com/CCPrygCPnC

— Barça Centre (@barcacentre) April 23, 2018

Argentina are dependent on Messi and Sampaoli has been unable in his short tenure to find a solution with any cohesive formation and style. There is no question of that so naturally a conversation with Messi will cover this topic. Will Messi pick the squad? No, but Sampaoli will want to find those players who his captain is comfortable with and feels can bring the best from him.

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