Spain vs Argentina: Lucas Vazquez hopes Lionel Messi is fit for Tuesday's friendly

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Bengaluru, March 25: Spanish winger Lucas Vazquez hopes Argentina's world-class forward Lionel Messi is fit for Tuesday's (March 27) international friendly between Spain and Argentina at Madrid. Messi missed Argentina's friendly against Italy on Friday due to a hamstring issue and looks doubtful for the encounter against Spain as well. However, Vazquez, who plays for Real Madrid in the La Liga, wants Barcelona front-man Messi to be present on the pitch on Tuesday.

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Vazquez feels playing against the best will help Spain know where they stand ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“We always want to play against the best players; so if Messi plays, then that's even better. It looks like Messi is going to be doubtful right up until the last minute. But Argentina have great players," the goal.com quoted Vazquez as saying.

Messi has a scoring record of just two goals against Spain. Among the 13 international encounters between Spain and Argentina in the recent past, Spain have emerged winners five times while Argentina have edged past them on six occasions. The two sides met last in September 2010 in an international friendly at the Antonio Vespucio Liberti (Buenos Aires, Argentina), where Argentina defeated the 2010 World Cup champions 4-1.

While Argentina have won twice in Spain, their last victory in the country dates back to November 1999. In that game, Argentina had beaten the hosts Spain 2-0.

Vazquez got only 19 minutes of playing time in Spain's friendly against Germany on Friday when he came on as a substitute in the second half, replacing David Silva. It was the winger's fourth international cap and his first game for Spain since January 2016.

The Spanish right-winger is confident about his team's chance in Russia as he believes that they are on the right path. He said, “We're full of hope. We are playing well as a team, the philosophy is sensational… Now's the moment when we have to get down to hard work so that we are ready when our objectives come along. We're on the right path.”

Commenting on Spain's targets for the World Cup, Vazquez said: “We have to be realistic: we have a fantastic national team, with some of the top players around, but it's pointless discussing whether we are favourites or not; the only thing we can do is work hard, know where our virtues lie and make sure we arrive in the best possible conditions, after that we can try and win the World Cup.”