Inter Miami CF fans could be wondering why Gary Neville didn't call Gonzalo Higuain and Federico Higuain for Sunday's road clash vs. Nashville SC, as neither of them seemed to suffer an injury.
Sadly, the Argentine duo will miss the game - and perhaps some time beyond - as they had to fly back to their country in the wake of the passing of their mother, Nancy Zacarias, who lost her battle to cancer.
The Herons will now have to face a tough matchup without two of the biggest stars in Major League Soccer, but coach Neville is fully confident in their ability to get by while the Higuain brothers mourn and spend some much-needed family time.
Gonzalo And Federico Higuaín Are Back In Argentina To Attend Their Mother's Funeral
“They’re more than footballers, their families are more important,” coach Neville told MLS. “So at this moment in time there is, we don't know whether the Higuains are going to be here Sunday."
“When they left, Gonzalo and Fede both said that their mom's dying wish was [for] them to come back and play, and ultimately, you think about, the strength of a mother in a household is really powerful. So ultimately what I said to them is, you go back and see your family, spend time with your family and make sure that you give them everything you can, and football is secondary. So we’re not sure about the Higuain brothers," Neville added.
Neville Wants Inter Miami To Have A 'Next-Man-Up' Mentality
The former Manchester United player believes that his team has plenty of weapons to try and fill the void, so even though Gonzalo and Federico have been key parts of his scheme early on the season, he's looking forward to giving other players a chance:
“So what I said to the guys this morning was is that, we've got a really, really good squad with two players for every position with real quality, and I'm like, now's our opportunity to show this quality, the strength of the squad, to give players opportunity that have been champing at the bit,” the boss said.
Needless to say, soccer should be the last thing on Gonzalo and Federico's minds right now, so they better take as much time as they need to get back on their feet. Don't worry, boys, your teammates got your back.
