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Brazil will host the defending World Cup champions, looking to arrest a run of three straight games without a win and improve upon their fifth-placed position on the CONMEBOL table.
Early wins over Bolivia and Peru have since made way for back-to-back losses to Uruguay and Colombia, with two points all that remains between a qualification berth and further obscurity.
It’s a position the five-time World Cup winners don’t normally find themselves in, but one Rodrygo admits could get worse if they aren’t careful against their arch-rivals.
“I think they [Argentina] are going to respect us, just as we are going to respect them,” Rodrygo said.
“There is no way to deny it. He [Messi] is one of the best players in the history of football and we will have to be very careful with him.”
Rodrygo is expected to lead the line against La Albiceleste, with Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior ruled out for at least two months after suffering a hamstring injury against Colombia.
It’s the latest blow in a string of setbacks for interim coach Fernando Diniz, who is already without Neymar after the Al Hilal star tore his ACL earlier in the qualification campaign.
Nevertheless, Diniz remains confident in the players available to him – as does Rodrygo, who has produced five goals and four assists in 17 matches for Madrid this season.
“Nobody has to worry about taking over Neymar’s role,” Diniz told reporters last week. “We have an extremely talented generation.
“Many can take on this role, but it’s important that we don’t put that weight on them. The players have to feel light and do their best. They’ll naturally take centre-stage.”
Messi, meanwhile, will be out to make amends for the surprise defeat Argentina suffered at home to Uruguay last week, with the impending showdown at the Maracana marking his final competitive outing of the year.
The world champions had taken maximum points from their previous four qualifiers, but will still fancy their chances against a Selecao side they have not lost to since 2019.
