India, June 3 -- Lionel Messi trained separately from the main Argentina group during the defending champions' first World Cup practice session in the United States, keeping his fitness under the spotlight less than two weeks before their tournament opener.

As per Reuters, Messi worked on "specific exercises" at Argentina's base camp in Kansas City, where Lionel Scaloni's squad began their pre-tournament preparations on Monday. The 38-year-old Inter Miami captain has been managing muscle fatigue in his left hamstring since May 24, but he is still expected to be available for Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16.

The concern around Lionel Messi began during Inter Miami's 6-4 Major League Soccer win over Philadelphia Un...