Will Lionel Messi’s injuries impact Inter Miami’s playoffs?
Safid Deen reports that Messi is struggling with fatigue and injuries, forcing him to sit out games, which could impact Inter Miami’s championship chances.
SportsPulse, USA TODAY
Is Lionel Messi injured or exhausted?
After Messi’s early exit from Inter Miami’s 4-0 win over Toronto FC on Wednesday night, it could be either.
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino confirmed that Messi and his former FC Barcelona standout Jordi Alba will not play against Orlando City on Sunday. Both will be taken into account on a day-to-day basis as the club is in the middle of an 18-day, six-game spell.
“Basically, Leo is still dealing with his old scar tissue and Jordi is dealing with muscle pain,” Martino said at a news conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday. The scar tissue problem first surfaced with the Argentina national team earlier this month.
While Sunday’s game is important to Inter Miami’s push into the MLS postseason, the club is also focused on a title it can win next week in the US Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo on September 27.
When does the Inter Miami vs. Orlando City game take place?
Sunday’s game at Orlano is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on Apple TV.
Could Lionel Messi miss the US Open Cup final?
It could be a possibility that Inter Miami will play in the US Open Cup final without Messi and/or Alba.
“We have to go day by day to see the doctor’s report and his statements. We will follow them,” Martino said.
“I know we have a final but there is no way they will take the field if they are not able to do so.”
More on Lionel Messi’s injury status from Inter Miami coach
Martino said Messi was struggling with an injury from his past and had to complete a grueling stretch of 12 games in 48 days early in his Inter Miami career.
“It’s the scar of an old injury that’s bothering him,” Martino said of Messi.
Messi also came under scrutiny when he took part in two World Cup qualifiers with the Argentina national team earlier this month. Martino said these images showed Messi did not have a muscle injury.
“He had an old injury that was bothering him. The scans he had with the national team showed no injury. We still saved him to be safe,” Martino said of Messi after Wednesday’s game.
“We don’t think he has a muscle injury. This also comes from a conversation I just had with him. But we must continue to be careful. And we will look at that in the next few days.”
Lionel Messi looked tired before his exit against Toronto
Messi was either tired or feeling something in the 34th minute before his exit against Toronto.
Messi was hunched over in midfield. He appeared to be extending his right leg and tending to the calf area of his leg.
The sequence occurred after he aggressively tried to run from midfield towards the penalty area, where his attack was blocked by a defender and he was pushed out of the net past the goal.
Two minutes later, Messi gave up the captain’s armband and went to the touchline.
What did Lionel Messi look like when he returned to active duty?
Messi was unable to score or provide an assist in his 37 minutes of play against Toronto, but did have several shots on goal during his time on the pitch.
Messi’s most explosive chance was a right-footed shot that was missed after a volley from Facundo Farías, but the shot was too high. Messi’s foray into the net on this attempt was admirable and almost set the stage for a highlight-reel goal in the 23rd minute.
Earlier, Messi found some space and shot a left-footed shot towards the net, but his shot was intercepted by the Toronto FC goalkeeper in the 18th minute.
In another scene, Messi ran into a group of Toronto players and his shot hit one of them to end the threat.
How many games has Lionel Messi missed?
Messi returned to the pitch for the Toronto game after missing his last two games and having a total of 13 days off.
Messi did not travel with Inter Miami after the 5-2 loss to Atlanta United in Atlanta on September 16 after returning from the Argentina national team.
Messi also missed the second of two games against Argentina, a 3-0 win over Bolivia, to rest.
How many games has Lionel Messi played recently?
Before Messi’s appearance against Toronto, he had 13 days off.
Messi played twelve games in 48 days, from July 21st to September 7th.
The stretch ended with Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador in World Cup qualifying, with Messi scoring from a free kick in the 78th minute.
The other 11 games came against Inter Miami, where Messi led the club to a 10-1-0 (win-draw-loss) record with 11 goals scored and the League Cup title against Nashville SC on August 19.
Where does Inter Miami stand in the MLS playoff race?
With six MLS games remaining (not counting the US Open Cup final), Inter Miami has 31 points in the Eastern Conference standings.
Inter Miami sits 13th out of 15 teams, but just five points away from the ninth and final playoff spot, where DC United sits with 36 points.
What is Inter Miami’s remaining schedule for 2023?
Like the rest of the MLS, all Inter Miami games can be watched on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass – with the exception of the US Open Cup final on September 27th, which can be streamed on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. Keep in mind that if Messi leads Inter Miami into the MLS playoffs, some of those postseason games could also be broadcast on FOX.