Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said Wednesday he will wait until the last possible moment to decide whether Lionel Messi will play in the team's Copa America quarterfinal against Ecuador.

Lionel Messi (center) of Argentina competes during the Round of 16 match between Argentina and Australia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Dec 3, 2022. (CAO CAN / XINHUA)

Messi suffered an adductor injury in the Albiceleste's 1-0 victory over Chile and missed his side's 2-0 win over Peru in their final group match on Saturday.

"We are going to wait a little longer to make a decision," Scaloni told reporters ahead of Thursday's clash at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

"We will have another training session and the fact we have an extra day to recover also helps. Yesterday he trained with everyone with a good feeling and, depending on the how the next session goes, we will decide."

Messi said that he was unable to move freely in the match against Chile and revealed he had been suffering from flu-like symptoms during the tournament.

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