Home remedy cures ailing Messi

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Argentina's Lionel Messi during a training session Wednesday.
(Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Lionel Messi’s mother has come up with an extraordinary plan to ensure the world’s best player is at peak fitness for Argentina’s World Cup quarterfinal against Germany on Saturday.

Garlic.

Messi’s battle with a cold and flu bug, which kept him out of a Thursday training session, has been a source of concern to the entire nation of Argentina, which understandably sees him as crucial to its hopes of reaching the semifinals.

[Photos: See Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action]

However, Messi’s mom Celia Cuccitini reacted quickly by ordering her son to take a natural, garlic-based potion in order to ward off the symptoms of the condition.

Team doctor Donato Villani admitted he had “approved” the idea, although it is not known how much garlic Messi actually consumed.

“Messi has some flu-like symptoms but it is nothing important,” Villani said. “Everybody cares about him and wants him to feel his best. Of course everyone, his family, the team, we want him to feel better.”

Four years ago, Messi remained on the bench as an unused substitute and watched Argentina crash out against the Germans in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout at the same stage of the tournament.

Then-coach Jose Pekerman was widely criticized for not bringing Messi on and that snub has rankled with the 23-year-old ever since. The events of Thursday, when head coach Diego Maradona ordered him to skip training and rest, caused concern in the camp.

However, the home remedy appears to have had the desired effect. Team officials confirmed Friday that there was no reason Messi should not start against the Germans at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

Messi’s mother still cooks all of her son’s meals when he is in Spain with his club Barcelona and admits to keeping a watchful eye over his health and well-being.

“Lionel is the spoiled one of the family and of the national team,” she said. “Everyone is nice to him in the team. He is always happy and comfortable and has what he needs.”