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Sergio Aguero to wear Lionel Messi's No. 10 Argentina shirt

Jason Cairnduff / Reuters

Argentina forward Lionel Messi is set to miss his national team's latest fixtures due to an injury. La Albiceleste has, at least for now, lost its number 10.

Well, not really.

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero has now officially stolen Messi's No. 10 shirt for Argentina.

"I spoke to the kit-man and he told me it is obligatory - someone has to use it because the numbers go from one to 23," Aguero told his club's website.

That's a valid reason, but still this must be a shock for Messi, who may take issue with another player wearing his famous number.

"I wore it for the first time against Bosnia, in a friendly in the United States, and Leo said: 'When I am not around, Kun has to use it,'" Aguero revealed.

"Then he started to send me messages: 'Are you going to wear it? You're not going to chicken out?' Now every time he is absent it is up to me to wear it. I am happy to pull on the shirt, but it obviously belongs to him."

With Messi's blessing, Aguero will wear the number 10 shirt for Argentina as the 2014 World Cup finalists embark on its next World Cup qualifying adventure, taking on Ecuador and Paraguay during this international break.

It's a task made more complicated by the absence of Messi in the starting XI.

"It is a bit strange because Leo has always been here with us, but these things happen in football," Aguero said. "We have great players here and we can do well without him.

"Messi is Messi; he is irreplaceable. But there is a great team here which can make his absence felt less sharply. Now the key is winning, picking up three points.

"We are playing at home; it is a long time since Argentina has seen us and we have to play well from the start to gain confidence."

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