Buenos Aires, Jan 27 (AP) Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will not travel for Thursday's World Cup qualifying match against Chile after testing positive for COVID-19.

Scaloni told a news conference Wednesday that his assistants Walter Samuel and Roberto Ayala will be in charge for the match. Argentina has already secured a spot at the tournament in Qatar, while Chile is still in contention.

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“I am well, recovered. But the PCR remains positive," Scaloni said.

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi will also be absent as he continues to recover from the virus. Paulo Dybala is expected to be his replacement in the team's starting lineup.

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“I talked to (Messi) after he tested positive for COVID. It affected him a lot, he had the roughest variant," Scaloni said.

“It is important that he recovers, feels fit because there will be important moments ahead.”

The virus has also affected Chile, with defenders Mauricio Isla and Francisco Sierralta and winger Jean Meneses out.

Brazil and Argentina have both qualified for the World Cup, with two more automatic spots up for grabs in South American qualifying. The fifth-place team advances to a playoff against an Asian opponent. Only last-place Venezuela, with seven points, is out of contention. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)