Inter Miami CF may have to play in the US Cup final without Lionel Messi.
The Florida club has a meeting with Houston Dynamo on Wednesday evening, seven days after the football legend left a clash against Toronto FC.
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Messi is suffering from a right hamstring injury and has played 12 games since arriving in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino expressed caution at a press conference on Monday when discussing a possible return of his star player.
“We are making progress day by day. “We will evaluate him and, as I always say, I will first listen to what Messi tells me and what he feels,” he said. Then we also have to assess future risks. “So it’s not an easy decision, but we’ll take the time we need to try not to make any mistakes.”
Last week, Martino suggested that Messi’s discomfort was due to scar tissue from a previous injury.
Since joining the MLS side, the Argentine has found the net 11 times and provided five assists. A win against Houston would allow Inter Miami to win a second trophy in 2023. The team triumphed in the League Cup in August.
In addition, the Miami team is trying to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs. It sits five points behind CF Montreal and New York City FC, the teams that occupy the final two spots for the postseason. There are five games left in Inter Miami’s season.