Is Lionel Messi Playing Tonight in Orlando City vs Inter Miami?

Inter Miami returns to action quite early than expected as they gear up for their mid-week action. The Herons will travel to Inter and Co. Stadium to play against fellow Florida rivals, Orlando City, on Wednesday night. While the anticipation of seeing the Eastern Conference leaders further extend their lead remains, the question looms about the presence of star player Lionel Messi. 

Well, in short, the answer to his presence in tonight’s match is a no. The past few hours have brought concerning updates regarding the Argentinian superstar. During Tata Martino and Co’s 2-3 win against Montreal, Messi was subjected to a harsh tackle and taken to the sidelines for treatment. Although he managed to complete the whole game without getting his name on the scoresheet, the post-match developments left many tense. Miami assistant coach Javi Morales stated that the 36-year-old was forced to apply ice to his knee and even missed out on the team’s training to indulge in a recovery session alone. 

In fact, in a video shared by journalist José Armando on X, not just Messi but also Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets were also absent from yesterday’s training. While Suarez and Busquets have travelled with the squad, Messi failed to recover from his knock in the knee, forcing him to stay back. The captain must have undergone assessment before the team management decided to keep him out tonight’s clash. 

Miami would have welcomed the presence of the former Barcelona man to help them maintain their winning streak and further cement their place at the top of the table, having accumulated 27 points from 13 matches so far. While the question regarding Messi’s availability is answered, which other players is Miami bound to travel without?

While Lionel Messi is out, Inter Miami continues to grapple with a lengthy injury list

Lionel Messi potentially missing the game against Orlando would be a significant setback for Tata Martino and his team, given the already lengthy injury list. Topping up the dismay would be the absence of Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, but it’s most likely they are doing recovery sessions alongside Messi. Speaking of other names, left-back Jordi Alba and forward Shanyder Borgelin are both sidelined with hamstring injuries. 

Additionally, defenders Facundo Farias and Ian Fray, along with recent signing Federico Redondo and forward Robbie Robinson, are all dealing with knee injuries. Diego Gomez concludes the list, out of action with an ankle injury. Certainly, with such absentees, Inter Miami is in dire need of Lionel Messi’s presence. Otherwise, they will have to figure out a way to navigate the away match on their own.