Lionel Messi Injury Update: Tata Martino Reveals Inter Miami Star’s Health Crisis After After Early Exit on Historic Night Against Nashville

Inter Miami is finally back to winning ways. Moments ago, the Herons clinched an emphatic 3-1 victory against Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup RO16 2nd leg. However, the focus has veered away from the victory, with the sudden substitution of Lionel Messi on a joyful night becoming a talking point. While his coming off left the fans guessing, Tata Martino has finally broken the silence by giving an update on his injury, insisting that the Argentinian superstar ‘wasn’t feeling well.’

In the press conference, he was questioned about the departure of Lionel Messi, just five minutes after the second half began. Interestingly, he replied, “Leo [Messi] has a muscular overload, and that is why we decided to take him out. We tried to get him to continue, but he told us he wasn’t feeling well.” While confirming an injury blow to the skipper, Martino added that substituting him was a necessary step that he had to make. “He leaves as a precaution,” concluded the club’s head coach. Does this mean he will miss the upcoming games?

Following his substitution, it was already out that Messi withdrew from the game because of muscle discomfort, indicating a relapse of his previous injury. Despite Martino initially downplaying concerns of a severe injury, Messi’s absence in the MLS matchup against Montreal, where Miami experienced their first defeat of the season, suggests otherwise. Furthermore, his latest injury could potentially lead to him missing forthcoming games as well. Nevertheless, his first-half performance was enough to help Miami clinch victory on the historic night. 

Lionel Messi guides Inter Miami to glory on a monumental evening

The 2nd leg against Nashville at the Chase Stadium was a historic night for Inter Miami. This was the Florida-based club’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup home game. The night became even more memorable after they secured an emphatic win. Notably, after setting up an opener for Luis Suarez in just 7 minutes, Lionel Messi took charge and doubled the scoreline.

His replacement, Robert Taylor, added the 3rd goal for Miami in the 63rd minute. However, Nashville wasn’t keen on leaving without breaking the deadlock, as Sam Surridge scored for the away side. The match ended 3-1, with Miami progressing to the QFs with a 5-3 aggregate score. However, for now, Inter Miami will now shift their focus to Messi’s injury.

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