Inter Miami is currently flying without a net. The past few weeks saw the Herons fight battles on their own as star player Lionel Messi was busy with international duty. However, the Argentine returned to his domestic side with a major injury blow. While this has already put La Pulga’s return to action in doubt, Tata Martino has further elevated the fears by delivering distressing news.

Following Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over Toronto, the former River Plate boss was asked to give an update regarding Messi’s injury. As compiled by @M10GOAT on X, Martino said, “The club’s medical report was issued and information indicates that his condition will definitely be evaluated weekly. We will see how his recovery goes without risking him in any way.”

Notably, Miami issued a statement earlier revealing that a detailed medical evaluation showed Lionel Messi has sustained a ligament injury in his right ankle. Now, as per Martino, it seems like Miami doesn’t have a specific return date for their star player. Weekly analysis clearly suggests that the 8x Ballon d’Or winner is out of action for at least a month.

However, the Florida-based club is rather looking to take a pragmatic approach. Even if there lies a possibility for the 37-year-old to make a quick recovery and return early, Miami certainly won’t be interested in risking his injury. Either way, this comes out to be a huge blow for the David Beckham-backed club.

Martino will certainly need to devise a clear plan to keep his side on track without Messi’s presence. However, the crucial question is: exactly how many games will the Argentinian tactician need to manage this situation?

Here are the games that Lionel Messi is going to miss for Inter Miami

Renowned journalist Martin Arevalo recently reported that the Herons skipper will be sidelined for about 40 days. This means Lionel Messi could miss around 4–5 games for Inter Miami. Aside from this weekend’s clash against the Chicago Fire on July 20, the Argentine will also be unavailable for the opening two group stage fixtures of the Leagues Cup against Puebla on July 28 and Tigres UNAL on August 4. Notably, Miami’s performance in the group stages will determine their progression in the competition.

If they advance, Messi could miss additional games. Inter Miami will then play on August 25 against Cincinnati, which the Barcelona icon might also miss. A return is anticipated for the rematch against the Chicago Fire on September 1. Interestingly, Inter Miami were lucky today as they managed to escape today’s challenge against Toronto, courtesy of a first-half strike from Diego Gomez and a remarkable latter-half brace from Federico Redondo. A similar form is advised for them until Messi returns if they wish to avoid domestic troubles.