Will Lionel Messi play Copa America 2019 in Brazil? Argentina boss reveals more

Argentine boss Lionel Scaloni said on Saturday that he was "optimistic" about their skipper Lionel Messi's return to the national squad in 2019.

Messi has not played for his country since Argentina's quarter-final exit from the 2018 FIFA World Cup earlier this year in Russia.

Although the FC Barcelona captain has given no indication over whether he will play international football again, with Argentina beginning preparations for next year's Copa America, Scaloni said he is yet to speak to him.

Scaloni, who was appointed as Sampaoli's successor after initially taking over on an interim basis, said that he is planning to hold further talks with Messi after they met when the Copa Libertadores final second leg was played in Madrid in December.

"I do not talk very often with Messi, but we have a relationship," Scaloni said, according to media reports.

"We are going to try for him to join us in 2019, we have pending talks and we are optimistic that it will be positive. For us, it is something important. Any coach would like to coach him, myself more than any," Scaloni, who is going to be Argentina's in charge through to Copa America 2019, added.