Inter Miami will carry forward their League Cup spirit over the weekend. The Herons will be locking horns against fellow MLS Eastern Conference rivals Toronto FC ahead of the round of 32 clash. Both sides managed to qualify for the knockout stages after acing their respective groups and will further contest for the place in the last 16 spots at Chase Stadium on Thursday. 

Inter Miami closed their group stages as East 3 runner-up, first with a 2-0 win over Puebla but endured a shocking 2-1 loss to Tigres UANL in their final encounter. The reigning champions are doing their best in the absence of star player Lionel Messi, as the likes of Matías Rojas, Luis Suarez, and Leonardo Campana are stepping up when needed.

Meanwhile, East 6 winners Toronto undoubtedly topped their group. Aside from a penalty shootout win over the New York Red Bulls, they managed to seal a 2-1 win over CF Pachuca.

Inter Miami vs. Toronto: Team news

Injuries: Inter Miami

Lionel Messi remains the most notable absentee for Inter Miami. The Argentinian superstar returned from Copa America with both a trophy and an ankle injury, making it unlikely that fans will see him in action soon. Unfortunately, Miami’s injury troubles don’t stop there. Serhiy Kryvtsov is dealing with a minor knock, while Nicolas Freire and Facundo Farias are sidelined with ACL injuries.

Mar 13, 2024; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) arrives for a Concacaf round of sixteen match against Nashville SC at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY SportsMeanwhile, Diego Gomez and Benjamin Cremaschi are expected to return soon. The duo has been absent from the Miami camp due to their participation in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, but their respective national teams have been knocked out.

Injuries: Toronto

There are no major injury concerns for John Herdman’s side. In the clash against the New York Red Bulls, Toronto just made two changes, with Kosi Thompson and Matty Longstaff taking the places of Deybi Flores and Prince Owusu. It is expected that the Herdman will deploy a similar squad against the Florida-based club.

Inter Miami potential starting XI (4-3-3): Dos Santos; Weigandt, Allen, Fray, Negri; Ruiz, Bright, Rojas; Gressel, Suarez, Campana

Toronto potential starting XI (3-4-2-1): Johnson; Petretta, Long, Gomis; Laryea, Thompson, Longstaff, Bernardeschi; Insigne, Osorio; Etienne Jr.

Head-to-head stats and prediction for the League Cup

Total matches played: 9

Won by Inter Miami: 7

Won by Toronto: 2

Draw: 0

The records show that Toronto hasn’t done well against Inter Miami. However, that doesn’t rule out the fact they can’t stun the Florida-based club. The biggest advantage for the Canadian-based club is the absence of Lionel Messi, which Herdman’s side can certainly capitalize on. Yet, that alone won’t see them clinch a win, as we reckon the final score would be Inter Miami 1-1 Toronto FC, with Tata Martino and Co. winning the penalty shootout.

Watch Inter Miami vs. Toronto Leagues Cup Round of 32 on TV and live stream

Inter Miami vs. Toronto will kick off on August 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 PT. Fans in the US, UK, and other countries can catch the action live on Apple TV with the MLS season pass. A few of the matches can also be televised on Televisa, Fox Sports (FS1), TSN, and RDN.