Sidelined Due To Muscle Injury, Is Lionel Messi Playing Tonight For Inter Miami Vs D.C. United In MLS?

“I don’t want to take any risks, but I imagine that he won’t be available for Saturday’s game.” In a match with so much at stake, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino doesn’t think Lionel Messi will make an appearance. As the Herons take on D.C. United tonight, they can’t settle for anything less than a win. Else, their top-seeded run in the MLS Eastern Conference is in jeopardy. Considering this, Messi’s potential absence will be a huge blow to the team.

Messi & Co. reached this bottleneck after they blew their winning streak against CF Montreal on Monday. As the Miami-DC match kicks off, CF Montreal will simultaneously play Chicago Fire – the result of which will also impact the Herons’ position in the table. Coming back to the Herons’ game, Inter Miami has met D.C. United eight times previously. The Black and Red won five, drew two, and lost just one game against the Herons. Miami badly needs their attacking centerpiece and captain Lionel Messi to buck this trend. But what happened to him?

The Argentine went all guns blazing in the first 30 minutes of Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup 3-1 knockout win against Nashville SC. He set up Luis Suarez for the opening goal. Later, La Pulga found the net himself in the 23rd minute. However, little did he know a harsh blow awaited him. In the 50th minute, Tata Martino had to sub Messi off because of an “overload” in his right leg.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to recover from the muscle strain. While the Herons’ fans anxiously wait to know about Messi’s condition, the Argentina National Team’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, too, will be closely monitoring the same.

Argentina’s National Team, captained by Messi, will play two friendlies in the U.S. on March 22 and 27. Including the international friendlies and Miami games, the 36-year-old has 4 more matches this month in his schedule after D.C. Even if Messi is to recover quickly, such a tight schedule is detrimental to his physical wellbeing. Amid these worrying updates, Miami full-back Jordi Alba has given the club’s fans a glimmer of hope.

READ MORE: “Forfeit Any Future Games Messi Is Injured For” – Inter Miami Suffers First Season Defeat Without Lionel Messi; Fans React

Alba is optimistic about Lionel Messi’s availability against D.C. United

While Martino’s entourage is wary to start the 2022 World Champion, full-back Jordi Alba has a different story to tell. “I hope it’s nothing and that he can help us in Saturday’s game and in the next one. He’s a fundamental player for us, and we know it. It’s a huge help to have him in our team and we hope this injury is nothing serious,” Alba told AS in an interview, referring to Messi’s injury and Inter Miami’s tour to the capital.

While the Spaniard’s words restore hope among the Herons’ fans, they also hint that the team depends too much on the Argentine legend. Miami notably lost their first MLS game this year when La Pulga missed the action against CF Montreal. Remember how Miami went from an MLS Leagues Cup winner to not making the playoffs by a significant margin in 2023 when they sidelined a fatigued Lionel Messi? The last thing the David Beckham-co-owned side needs is a similar plight.

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