Inter Miami is flying high in MLS, first in the MLS East and first in the overall standings. Tata Martino’s side has secured wins thanks to the sensational play of their imports: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and, most recently, Matías Rojas. Their defense is a subject for another day.
Orlando City, on the other hand, has had a shaky season. They are below the playoff line and still searching for answers despite having talented players on the field, such as Facundo Torres, Luis Muriel, and Duncan McGuire.
Now both rivals will face off on Wednesday evening, and the Lions are hopeful that superstar Lionel Messi may miss the match due to a knee knock suffered over the weekend in the club’s 3-2 win over CF Montreal. Assistant coach and RSL legend Javier Morales provided an update on Messi’s status.
Lionel Messi’s Status for Orlando City
After training on Tuesday, Javier Morales stated to the media, “(Messi) got a knock in the game on Saturday. He played through it and finished the game. He applied ice after the match, and yesterday he trained with the guys who did recovery exercises.”
“We will evaluate to see how (Messi) is feeling and see if he’s ready for tomorrow.” Messi had missed significant time earlier this season due to hamstring issues.
Since his return in total, Messi has exploded, scoring 10 goals in 9 league games this season. Messi is also the league’s leader in assists with 12 but is one goal away from top scorers Cristian Arango, Christian Benteke, and Luis Suarez, who all have 11 goals in 2024.
Lionel Messi was named MLS Player of the Month for April as he led his team with 6 goals and 4 assists in just 4 matches played.