Lionel Messi is giving Inter Miami fans reasons to panic again. According to Jose Armando Rodriguez of Deporte Total, the Argentine star was absent from the team’s practice on Tuesday, putting his availability for Wednesday’s Leagues Cup game against Tigres into question.
After spending time on the sidelines with a mild hamstring injury in his right leg, the Argentine star returned to action on Saturday, scoring for Inter Miami in their 3-1 win over Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS action.
However, the 38-year-old raised concern at the end of the game, as he went directly to the tunnel in apparent pain. Now, he looks questionable for the 2025 Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Tigres, scheduled for Wednesday, August 20, at 8:00 PM (ET).
Messi may not be 100% recovered from hamstring injury
Messi picked up a hamstring injury on August 2 against Necaxa. Only 11 minutes into the game, the 8x Ballon d’Or winner asked to be subbed off, with Federico Redondo―recently transferred to LaLiga side Elche―stepping in.
Inter Miami ended up winning on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation, in a result that eventually helped them reach the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Messi missed the team’s next two games―a 3-1 win over Pumas and a 4-1 loss to Orlando City―before making an impactful return against LA Galaxy.
Messi started the game on the bench, replacing Telasco Segovia at the start of the second half. With the game tied, Messi gave Miami the lead over LA Galaxy at the 84th minute, providing an assist to Luis Suarez with a backheel pass only five minutes later to seal the deal.
Mascherano admits Messi wasn’t completely comfortable vs LA Galaxy
His performance may have made many forget he was just coming back from injury. However, the way he went to the locker room after the final whistle was enough to set off the alarms in South Florida, with Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano later making a candid admission on Messi’s physical condition.
“The idea was to give him 45 minutes so he could start finding sensations. Clearly, he wasn’t 100% comfortable, but as the minutes went on, he loosened up more. The important thing is he finished the game, and now we’ll see how he feels,” Mascherano said.
If Messi feels like playing on Wednesday, chances are he will get his way and take the field for Inter Miami. However, his absence from Tuesday’s practice isn’t an encouraging sign. An update from Mascherano or the team’s medical staff would be helpful, but perhaps the Herons prefer to wait for Messi until the last minute to see if they can count on him against Tigres.