Inter Miami coach Tata Martino says Lionel Messi is out of Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup match with a leg injury.
After the 3-1 victory (5-3 on aggregate) against Nashville SC, Martino indicated that the Argentine would probably be doubtful this weekend in the meeting between the Herons and DC United. Messi was substituted in the 49th minute of the match, just four minutes into the second half. Before his exit, he had scored a goal and provided an assist in the first half of the first leg.
“He is overloaded at the right posterior level. We don’t want to take any risks. We tried to see if he could hold on a little longer, but it bothered him… I guess he won’t be available for Saturday’s game (at DC United).
A stretch for Messi
Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald reports that it is a hamstring strain. As the two international friendlies with Argentina approach, which begin next week, the status of the Herons strongman, both at club and national level, now seems uncertain.
He recently missed Inter Miami’s surprising 3-2 defeat to CF Montreal due to what Martino described as a “rest” for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, but many suspected it was in due to a shin injury that left him listed as questionable on the club’s injury report hours before the match.
Last fall, when Messi was sidelined due to a “scar tissue flare-up,” he missed four matches for Inter Miami. The Herons did not win the six matches – in all competitions – that followed. In 2024, their only match without him is also their only defeat in all competitions.
