After missing two matches due to injury, Lionel Messi made a triumphant return, scoring in Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over LA Galaxy. However, the Argentine was absent for the team’s victory over Tigres in the Leagues Cup and will also miss Saturday’s match against DC United.
It’s a significant blow for Javier Mascherano’s squad as they push toward the top of the MLS Eastern Conference. Inter Miami will also be without Jordi Alba, who suffered a knock during the 2-1 win over Tigres that secured a spot in the Leagues Cup semifinals.
“Jordi took a knock. If you watch the replay, thank God it turned out to be something minor — it could’ve been a lot worse,” Mascherano said during a press conference when asked about Alba. “Hopefully he continues to recover. As of yesterday, the area was still quite swollen. It’s a knock on the inner part of the knee”.
Both Messi and Alba were absent from Inter Miami’s morning training session. Mascherano’s plan is to rest both players so they’re in optimal condition for the crucial Leagues Cup semifinal against Orlando City.
Jordi Alba #18 of Inter Miami CF receives medical attention during the Leagues Cup Quarter-final against Tigres UANL. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Mascherano updates Messi’s status
The Inter Miami coach confirmed during this morning’s press conference that Messi will not travel to Washington for the D.C. United match and provided an update on the team captain’s condition.
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“Leo is not going to travel. He will rest because of the trip, because of everything that comes with it, and because of the importance of Wednesday, so we’ll take it day by day,” Mascherano said. He added that Messi is not injured, only dealing with some discomfort: “It’s a minor issue, not an injury, but we’ll continue to monitor him”.
Messi sustained a minor muscle issue in his right leg during the group stage match against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup. While he was expected to miss at least three matches, Mascherano opted to play him after two absences. Messi featured for 45 minutes against LA Galaxy and scored, but the coach has now decided to rest him for the upcoming games.
