Most Inter Miami fans’ hearts must have skipped a beat when they saw Lionel Messi sitting out in Argentina’s Copa America group game against Paraguay. He was on the bench to nurse a hamstring problem, which shockingly returned after wreaking havoc on his Inter Miami campaign in March. Aggravating fans’ woes, Messi twisted his ankle during the Copa final and has been sidelined ever since. He will surely miss Miami’s clash with Chicago Fire tonight. But is he at least showing up at the Herons’ training facility? Let’s find out now as we go deeper.

Meanwhile, Miami has added more names to the list of absentees for the Chicago game. Let’s see who else is accompanying Leo Messi in the Herons’ injury list and who among his teammates has left for the Paris Olympics.

Inter Miami handed a fresh injury, while Lionel Messi nurses a twisted ankle

“The club’s medical report came out and the new information is that: regarding when he[Lionel Messi] could come back, he will be evaluated week by week, and we will see what his recovery is like, we won’t be taking any type of risk,” said Tata Martino in a press conference before the Chicago game. Miami-based journalist Michelle Kaufmann’s latest X post confirms that the Miami camp has taken a risk-averse approach with Messi. Per Kauffman, Messi was absent from the Herons training today and is working with physios in the club’s facility. The Argentine’s date of return, nevertheless, remains ambiguous.

Meanwhile, ace defender Sergiy Kryvstov’s knee problem has aggravated, and is unsure whether to start against the Chicago Fire tonight. Martino had called back the defender just after lasting 35 minutes and getting injured in Miami’s recent 3-1 rout of Toronto. Any knock for Kryvstov is alarming for the Herons, as he was struck twice with injuries in May.

Besides the injuries, the David Beckham co-owned side is also missing key players to the upcoming Paris Olympics, let’s find out who they are.

Miami could start their Leagues Cup title defense without these two Olympians

Inter Miami’s young midfield will have a large void, as they take on the Chicago Fire tonight, and later head to the Leagues Cup campaign in a week. 21-year-old midfielder Diego Gomez is with the Paraguay team to feature in the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi has received a USMNT call-up to feature in the Olympic soccer games.

For Gomez, the Olympic group campaign starts on July 23rd and ends on July 30th. This could go further if Paraguay performs well in Paris. Cremaschi and the USMNT, on the other hand, will start their campaign from July 24th to July 29th. They could also stay longer. Hence, the star midfield duo will miss Inter Miami’s first Leagues Cup match against Puebla on July 27th. If Messi and co. have any plans to defend the prestigious Leagues Cup title, it is high time they thwart injuries.