Is Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami vs Universitario in Peru today?

Inter Miami are in Lima, Peru, to face Universitario de Deportes for their second preseason friendly, after drawing 2-2 with Club America. The match will take place tonight (Jan. 29th, at 8 PM ET) at Monumental de Lima Stadium. All eyes are on superstar Lionel Messi, who is expected to play to keep gaining minutes ahead of the start of the MLS season.

While the lineups won’t be confirmed until later, Messi is healthy and is expected to play. The Argentine star played 62 minutes against Club America in Las Vegas and scored a goal. His celebration, which was interpreted as mocking Mexico, has been a topic of conversation for the past 10 days, with Miami’s midfielder Federico Redondo criticizing Mexican fans ahead of the match in Peru.

Ahead of the game in Las Vegas, head coach Javier Mascherano was cautious when asked about how much was Messi playing during the preseason. “We have to see about that,” he told the press. “The goal is to get all the players physically and technically ready for the start of the official competition. Obviously, we have several preseason matches that will allow us to compete, but the issue of playing time will be decided based on how they feel.”

After the match against Club America, Messi said that he was “very motivated” for the year ahead. “Well, as I always say, I’m just starting the year. Honestly, I’m starting it feeling really, really excited and motivated,” he told TN Deportivo. “Hopefully, I can feel good as the year goes on and well, it’s important to start off strong to be in good shape when the official matches come around.”

Lionel Messi scored against Club America in Las Vegas ( Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

On the other hand, Messi’s presence on the field has been teased by local media, quoting Pol Liza, CEO of Long Play Entertainment, the company who is organizing the event. “How much Messi plays is up to the coach (Javier Mascherano), but he’s here to play, train, and get to know his team’s new signings,” he said, according to Infobae.

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Inter Miami’s potential lineup vs Universitario

After facing America, Mascherano will have another chance to keep trying the new pieces of Miami’s roster. It’s expected that he will go with a similar lineup he used against Club America, but with some changes.

Inthat sense, Miami could play with: Rocco Ríos Novo; Marcelo Weigandt, Tomás Avilés, Gonzalo Luján, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Yannick Bright, Federico Redondo; Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Fafa Picault.