There will be no Lionel Messi for Argentina and no Neymar for Brazil in two decisive rounds of South American World Cup qualifying.

Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez will miss their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to a hamstring injury, the Argentine FA said on Wednesday. Inter Milan's Martinez remained on the bench for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 win over Feyenoord last week with muscle discomfort.

Martínez had been dealing with a muscle problem, missing Inter's Champions League match against Feyenoord. Despite scoring against Atalanta, further assessment confirmed the hamstring injury. His absence will require the coach to implement significant changes to the team’s strategy.