How Many Games Is Lionel Messi Set to Miss for Inter Miami Due to Copa America Following the St. Louis Clash?

Inter Miami continues to remain off its game. Moments ago, the Herons managed to salvage a remarkable comeback, securing a 3-3 draw against St. Louis. Having endured a 1-3 thrashing in the last fixture against Atlanta United, where their 8-match unbeaten streak came to an end, the Herons again failed to capitalize on the presence of Lionel Messi. But the challenges are set to mount for them as the Argentinian superstar is gearing up for a lengthy domestic absence for the upcoming Copa America. That said, exactly how many games will he miss for Inter Miami?

With the CONMEBOL-based tournament set to begin on June 20, today’s match against St. Louis was apparently the last time the Miami faithful got to see La Pulga. He may leave Fort Lauderdale in the coming days, as La Albiceleste has two friendly games against Ecuador on June 10 and Guatemala on June 14. This would mean that Messi is set to miss at least 5–6 games for Miami. Tata Martino will now return to action on June 16 against Philadelphia, which counts as the first match in the skipper’s absence.

Until the Copa America group stages, the 36-year-old will definitely miss fixtures against Columbus (June 20), Nashville (June 30), and Charlotte (July 4). If Argentina makes it beyond the further stages of the competition, Messi will then miss the crucial Cincinnati (July 7) clash. He can make a return before the Toronto clash on July 18, since the Copa America finals are on July 14. But yet again, that depends on how far his nation makes it in the competition.

Also, an unfortunate injury that, God forbid, he potentially sustains during the event may further increase his absence. But the real question is: Is Miami prepared without Messi?

Here’s how Inter Miami is looking to strive in the absence of Lionel Messi!

To double Inter Miami’s problems, aside from Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez will also be uniting with Uruguay for the Copa America. With both star players leaving, Tata Martino has urged his other two players to fill in the void. Following a narrow win against DC United, he said, “We are going to suffer during the Copa América, but we have to know how to suffer, Leo Campana’s goal will give him confidence. Players like him, and Robert Taylor will be fundamental in this period.”

So that explains why Robert Taylor insisted on snubbing Finland’s national team call-up in the upcoming week. Aside from Taylor and Campana, Matias Rojas can also contribute to Messi’s and even Suarez’s absence. After all, Miami is set to be in a very vulnerable position. Already, they are battling tooth and nail to retain the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and doing so without Messi makes things more difficult for them. Let’s see how these upcoming weeks unfold for Inter Miami.