Why Isn’t Luis Suarez Starting Tonight for Inter Miami vs New England Revolution? Possible Reason Behind Tata Martino Benching Him Analyzed

Inter Miami is back for their Matchday 10 action as they face the New England Revolution. The Herons are away from home as they are being hosted in front of a record crowd of over 60,000 spectators at Gillette Stadium. While fan’s mission to see Lionel Messi in action is fulfilled as he starts the game, the absence of Luis Suarez remains in the starting XI. But why has Tata Martino left La Pulga’s counterpart on the bench?

The venue, unfortunately, plays a key role in Suarez’s starting from the bench. The Revolution, who share Gillette Stadium with the Patriots, is one of six out of 29 MLS teams that play on synthetic turf. Unfortunately, synthetic turf is notorious for its perceived increased risk of injuries. Earlier, there were rumors that the Uruguayan international would reportedly miss the match and wouldn’t be traveling to Yankeeland. However, Martino at least took the step to take him along with the whole squad. 

Even during his time at Gremio, El Pistolero didn’t play on the artificial turf for the Brazilian side, having missed crucial matches against the likes of São José, Palmeiras, and Athletico that all have the controversial pitch. Given his ongoing fitness issues, the striker has already faced challenges in maintaining his form. Hence, being cautious would at least prevent him from experiencing a potential injury setback.

Interestingly, Suarez’s partner in crime, Lionel Messi, was also tipped to miss the match. David Beckham-owned club wasn’t keen to commit the Aaron Rodgers mistake and were ready to keep their star player away from the injury-scare pitch. Yet, the skipper has started the game. Perhaps Suarez might also be asked to make an appearance on the pitch. 

Inter Miami might urge Luis Suarez to overcome his fear of playing on the turf

Luckily, Inter Miami has Lionel Messi to save them from all the potential threats the New England Revolution may offer. However, if things go extremely south for the Florida-based club, Tata Martino might turn towards Luis Suarez to remove his bib and enter the game. Additionally, it’s unlikely that the 37-year-old will spend the whole game on the bench. 

Giving him little time on the artificial grass would come across as a pragmatic approach from Martino’s side to help the striker adapt to the surface in his debut season. Notably, Messi has already played on the turf and has “No problem” in doing so. But let’s hope there is no injury scare for either Messi or Suarez if he goes into the match later.