After a disheartening defeat in the US Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo, Inter Miami is back in the fray. And they’re battling for a spot in the MLS playoffs. The Herons recently faced off against New York City in an MLS fixture, but they did so without their star player, Lionel Messi. With the Argentine superstar still sidelined, a distressing update has emerged regarding his injury, potentially spelling the end of Miami’s qualification hopes.

David Beckham‘s soccer franchise is already grappling with a lack of victories due to their skipper’s absence. However, the recent injury update on their No. 10 isn’t too pleasing for the Herons.

A saddening update on Lionel Messi!

Lionel Messi’s absence from the field dates back to September 21 when he exited the match against Toronto. Despite sitting out the subsequent game against Orlando and Houston, he is still unable to make a swift recovery. Fans and media are asking the same question; when will Lionel Messi return to action?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question has been just revealed by a source and it is a bad one. As per the journalist Caden DeLisa, an MRI confirmed that Lionel Messi suffered a 2 cm hamstring tear, which is likely to sideline him for the rest of the MLS season. This injury initially occurred during Argentina’s World Cup Qualifier match against Ecuador and was aggravated during the game against Toronto.

This likely shatters the MLS playoff hopes for Inter Miami. Four games need to be played by 22nd October, yet there is a possibility Messi won’t recover till that time.

Tata Martino’s side already lost the US Open Cup final a few days ago. Even today, they struggled to find a goal in their MLS fixture against New York City. Luckily, a clutch performance from Tomas Aviles saved the day for Miami.

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Tomas Aviles saves the day for Inter Miami

Inter Miami didn’t have the best of game weeks as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against New York City. Both teams entered the first half with enthusiasm, but it ended without any goals. The second half saw both sides striving for attack, and in the 77th minute, New York broke the deadlock with a goal from Santiago Rodriguez.

It seemed the end for the Herons until they salvaged a draw thanks to Tomas Aviles’ 90+5th-minute equalizer. Unfortunately, more drama wasn’t written in the stars, as neither side had the time to secure another goal, resulting in them sharing the points. The draw rekindles Inter Miami’s hopes of scrapingly reaching the MLS playoffs. However, it’s evident they are facing challenges in Lionel Messi’s absence. How they adapt without their No. 10 remains to be seen. Any thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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