Inter Miami’s back in the saddle for another crucial MLS duel this weekend. Tata Martino’s men have left Florida for South of Illinois to face the Chicago Fire as they will look to clinch the crucial three points to further retain their place at the top of the Eastern Conference table. With just a matter of time until the kick-off, the million-dollar question again is whether Lionel Messi is going to be there tonight for Miami.

More than a month has passed since the Argentinian superstar has remained absent from the domestic action. While it was Copa America that kept the 37-year-old busy, the return was marred by a tear-jerking ankle injury he sustained during the final. Since then, he has left the Herons stranded, who continue to move forward in his absence. As for tonight’s match, Lionel Messi remains a doubt against the Chicago Fire.

Earlier, reports suggested that he would recover in time to make an appearance today. This came after La Pulga was spotted training with the whole group after weeks of recovering all by himself. Yet, it’s unlikely that Martino would be interested in risking his star player, considering the MLS playoffs are just around the corner. If there’s a slightest of the doubt, he won’t be used at all, despite getting into the squad after a long time.

On the other hand, Martino may also introduce Messi for the final minutes remaining just to check the flow of the water. If everything goes well, there’s nothing that will stop him from featuring in the next match. Overall, it’s a toss-up situation for Messi to play in tonight’s game. However, there are definitely some absentees that Miami has left back in Florida to recover.

While Lionel Messi remains doubtful, Inter Miami grapples with a lengthy injury list

Defensive duo Facundo Farías and Nicolás Freire are sidelined due to knee injuries, while Leo Afonso is dealing with a groin issue. Additionally, Lawson Sunderland is recovering from a hamstring injury. Although the injury list stops here, Tomas Aviles will miss tonight’s clash against Chicago Fire after receiving a red card in the first half of the previous game.

Luckily, Luis Suarez took just 6 minutes to secure a 2-0 victory for Tata Martino’s side against Cincinnati. With this win, the Herons not only avenged their 6-1 defeat to Cincinnati back in July but also widened the points gap to 8, significantly boosting their title race prospects against their arch-rivals.

Looks like finishing the Eastern Conference as toppers remains the sole goal of Inter Miami. In fact, this is all that they have left after enduring early exits from the CONCACAF Champions League and Leagues Cup recently. Regardless, let’s see if Lionel Messi and Co. are able to keep their train running on the winning track.