'There will be Argentina shirts' - Lionel Scaloni expects fans to defy Lionel Messi ban against Paraguay

Ahead of a World Cup qualifier at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion on Thursday, Fernando Villasboa – licensing manager of the Paraguayan FA – has stated that only those donning Paraguayan jerseys will be allowed into the venue, with any shirt sporting the name of an Argentine club or player set to be turned away.

He has said: “We won't allow the other team's shirt. It's not a problem against Messi. We respect the careers of all footballers. It's just that the home ground is very important to us.”

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro added: “I have nothing to do with the T-shirt ban. I had no idea about that. I think the idea is to reduce the margin of a possible source of conflict. Messi is our rival, I wish him the best game of his life against Peru.”

Scaloni, though, believes that Argentina shirts – especially those with No.10 on the back – will be spotted throughout the crowd. The World Cup-winning coach told reporters: “Logically, for the Paraguayan footballer, for the fan, they all want to wear the national team shirt. But Leo is stronger than all that and there will be Argentina shirts. It doesn't mean they don't support Paraguay. I think it's good that football people recognise what he is. And it's not because you have a shirt that you become an Argentina fan.”

Argentina sit top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, with 22 points collected from 10 games, and are set to follow up their trip to Paraguay with a home date against Peru on November 19. International action is all that Messi has on his schedule for the foreseeable future, with MLS Cup play-off heartache suffered at club side Inter Miami.