The concerns over Lionel Messi’s injuries increase significantly as he gets older. The recovery time is becoming longer and arguably the GOAT of soccer might have to rethink his career plans. Those glory years of Barcelona, coupled with a lot of kicking and fouling from the opposition players, seemed to catch up with the Argentine player. Hence, Tata Martino addressed the player’s availability for the coming matches, especially the one against New York City.

With fans hoping to catch a glimpse of him in the Yankee stadium, they remain hopeful that he starts. Inter Miami will face New York City in a crucial match to boost their title hopes. Moreover, having Messi on the team boosts their chances of winning. He made an appearance in the game against Atlanta United as a substitute. After gaining match fitness, it looks like he will start in their game against New York City.

The link-up of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi becomes crucial for the team to score goals. Tata Martino remains uneasy about using him for the full match. So, we can expect the player to complete over 60-70 minutes. He suffered an ankle injury against Columbia in the Copa America final, which led him to miss around 8 games, having injured himself for 58 days.

Hence, managing his injury becomes critical in keeping him fresh for the long term.

“Leo is fine. He ended the game well. Tired, obviously. It’s the first 90 minutes in a long time, but it ended very well. He is going to travel to both games. He is available, but there are three games this week with travel included, so we have to see it day by day,” Tata Martino stated according to ESPN.

The injury concerns of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami!

With fans hoping to see the sensational soccer player in action, we must analyze Lionel Messi’s injury record at Inter Miami. Here’s the list of some of the major injuries he had with Inter Miami:

• Ankle injury: Mon, Jul. 15, 2024 — TBD (Inter Miami, 2 matches minimum)
• Hamstring injury: Wed, Mar. 13, 2024 — Sat, Apr. 5, 2024 (Inter Miami, 4 matches — Argentina, 2 matches)
• Adductor injury*: Feb. 1, 2024 — Feb. 7, 2024 (Inter Miami, 2 preseason matches)
• Scar tissue flare-up: Sep. 21, 2023 — Oct. 6, 2023 (Inter Miami, 4 matches)

Yes, this concerns the team management and the owners. They brought in Lionel Messi to elevate MLS to greater heights. Honestly, one can say the NWSL has propelled to far greater heights. Having Inter Miami win the MLS Cup and the Supporters Shield would boost the soccer viewership in this country.

Significantly, Lionel Messi’s fitness issues need to improve for the club to get traction in all departments – on and off the pitch. Hopefully, he can score a goal or assist against New York City and recapture his mojo.