Messi was taken off in Inter Miami's final game before the World Cup break – a 6-2 win over Philadelphia Union – holding the back of his left leg as he left the pitch.

Miami said the issue was the result of fatigue, and that it should not affect his participation in the World Cup.

Messi holds the all-time record for most World Cup appearances, with 26 matches played (13 goals, eight assists).

In 2022, Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final in a single edition of the tournament. He also scored or assisted 10 of Argentina's 15 goals (seven goals, three assists) en route to the trophy.

He is set to appear in a record sixth edition this summer, but Scaloni is not yet sure of the full timeline for his recovery.

"The initial updates [about Messi] aren't entirely bad," Scaloni said. "Now, we must wait to see how he evolves, pending the results of further tests to see if they confirm the initial medical reports.

"We all wished Messi could have joined the squad fully fit, but that isn't the reality. It's not just him; many players have yet to fully recover from injuries.

"Our main priority now is their rehabilitation to ensure they reach the World Cup in peak condition."

As well as Messi, Argentina faces uncertainty over the fitness of Emiliano Martinez, who played through Aston Villa's Europa League with a fractured finger, while Cristian Romero missed the end of Tottenham's season with a ligament sprain.

Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Nico Paz and Nicolas Gonzalez are also in various stages of recovery from their respective issues, with Scaloni set to evaluate all players until the final moment. The final World Cup squad announcement is due to FIFA by 2 June.

None of those players are expected to feature in Argentina's warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland.

Argentina begins its World Cup campaign against Algeria on 16 June, with Austria and Jordan also in Group J alongside it.