Lionel Messi once again put on a show for Inter Miami, this time by recording a goal and an assist to beat Nashville SC 3-1 in the return leg of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 (5-3 on aggregate).
However, fans were surprised to see Leo’s night end prematurely as he was subbed off for Robert Taylor only 50 minutes into the match. In his post-game press conference, Miami coach Gerardo Martino explained his decision.
“He has an overload in his right leg,” Martino said, explaining the team didn’t want to take any risks. He added that they wanted to see if Messi could stay for a bit longer, but the player still felt pain so they subbed him out.
Messi missed the previous Inter Miami match
Let’s keep in mind that the 8x Ballon d’Or winner barely made it on time for this clash, as he was rested for the MLS fixture against Montreal on Sunday. That was the club’s first loss in 2024.
Messi was already seen in pain last week in Nashville, where he suffered a high boot by Lukas MacNaughton late in the second half. For sure, Messi’s fitness is a subject to keep an eye on.
Inter Miami now wait for the winner of Monterrey and Cincinnati to know their next opponent in the Concachampions, but first they’ll play DC United in Washington on Saturday for the 2024 MLS regular season.