Argentinavs.Chile

The legendary 37-year-old attacker has not been selected in Lionel Scaloni's 28-man squad as he continues to recover from the ankle injury sustained during Argentina's Copa America final triumph over Colombia in July.

La Albiceleste defenders Nicolas Tagliafico and Leonardo Balerdi are also ruled out through injury, while Angel Di Maria and Franco Armani have both retired from international football.

The absence of Tagliafico leaves Argentina light in the left-back department, with two-cap Valentin Barco - on loan at Sevilla from Brighton & Hove Albion - the only natural left-back option in Scaloni's squad.

Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel will resume their battle for a start at right-back, while Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez is set to be the preferred centre-back partnership, protecting first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Enzo Fernandez was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons last month after he was captured singing an offensive song about French players following Argentina's Copa America triumph, but he is available for selection and could start in midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul.

In the absence of Messi and Di Maria, Scaloni is set to weigh up whether to select another midfielder such as Giovani Lo Celso or Leandro Paredes, or hand a start to an attacker to link up with Julian Alvarez and Copa America Golden Boot winner Lautaro Martinez.

Nicolas Gonzalez, Alejandro Garnacho and Paulo Dybala will be among those pushing to start, while uncapped quartet Valentin Castellanos, Giuliano Simeone, Matias Soule and Ezequiel Fernandez will also be hoping to feature in some capacity on Thursday.

Argentina possible starting lineup: E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Barco; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Gonzalez, La. Martinez, Alvarez