It’s just a matter of time before Argentina returns to action for the World Cup qualifiers. After a shocking 1-1 draw against Venezuela, Lionel Scaloni’s side will now look for a much-needed win against Bolivia today before the players return to their respective domestic action. However, the biggest question of all is whether Lionel Messi will be playing tonight.

The Argentinian skipper finally made a return to the national camp by playing 90 minutes against Venezuela in the previous clash. He had missed the September window against Chile and Columbia due to the ankle injury he sustained in the Copa America final held back in July. Since then, he had been missing action even on the domestic front, until making a return around mid-September.

Luckily, with no injury concerns whatsoever, Lionel Messi will be playing tonight against Bolivia. While he is sure to start the match, it’s unclear whether his game time will be limited. Scaloni may decide to take him in the latter stages of the game, considering the fatigue may hit him. After all, he played until the final whistle in the last game, where he again failed to find his name on the scoresheet.

Nicolas Otamendi had opened the account for the World Champions inside 13 minutes until the hour mark saw Salomon Rondon spoil the party. Notably, the last time he scored for Argentina was during the Copa America semifinal against Canada. Perhaps today’s the night we may get to see him find the back at the net while also helping his side win the crucial three points.

However, that certainly won’t be an easy task considering how good Bolivia has been, even though they had endured a poor Copa America campaign. La Verde’s journey ended within the group stages but the past few matches have seen them back on track. Oscar Villegas’ side secured a 4-0 win over Venezuela, followed by a 1-2 win over Chile in the September window of the World Cup qualifiers.

Despite being down to 10 men, Bolivia also secured a narrow win over Columbia. This emphatic run in the past few games has seen them take sixth place in the CONMEBOL WC qualifiers table, with 12 points. Certainly, Argentina looks to be its next target, whom they will try to dominate, especially in the absence of a key player.

Bolivia will be looking to take advantage of the crucial missing chess piece in Lionel Messi and Co.’s lineup!

Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez is missing from this month’s international window. For those wondering about his absence, the Aston Villa goalkeeper is serving a two-match ban due to his “offensive behavior” by FIFA. While the first one was successfully done against Venezuela, the second and final one will be completed in today’s game.

It’s not like Geronimo Rulli isn’t doing a great job. But it’s also quite obvious that Argentina are missing their star goalkeeper. Surely, Bolivia will look to do its best to test Rulli and will try to hinder Argentina’s run to retain its top spot in the table. Scaloni and Co. have 19 points, enjoying a three-point lead over second-placed Colombia.