Following a short appearance in the recent match against Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr, speculation is rife regarding Lionel Messi‘s potential participation in the forthcoming fixture against Hong Kong XI. Slated for the 3rd of February, the situation looks only hopeful, even to Head Coach Tata Martino, whether La Pulga will be able to overcome a muscular injury acquired shortly before Inter Miami‘s lamentable 0-6 defeat by Al Nassr.

Initially, Al Nassr declared that Cristiano Ronaldo would be absent from the ‘Last Dance’ owing to a muscle injury. Subsequently, Lionel Messi’s similar muscular affliction was also announced, implying his inability to start in the event.

The latest update on Lionel Messi’s injury

During a pre-match press conference anticipating the upcoming friendly game, Martino provided an extensive update on squad status. He stated, “We will assess each of the players in training because we have been playing a lot of preseason games.” He then addressed specifically Lionel Messi’s situation. “The hope is that Leo can play as many minutes as possible,” shared Martino.

Over Inter Miami’s ongoing friendly preseason tour thus far, the Argentine maestro has only played 205 in four games. However, it is evident from Martino’s statement that they’d like this figure improved upon before the kick-off of the MLS season for the Herons scheduled for February 21st.

Derived from Coach Martino’s remarks; if his muscle injury resolves appropriately before match time, Lionel Messi may likely feature within at least some portion of playtime and could potentially serve as a substitute initially. Nonetheless, before embarking on their regular MLS season journey, Inter Miami has a couple more destinations to wrap up their pre-season preparation.

Inter Miami is short on time to find their rhythm back

After successive defeats in the Riyadh Season Cup, Inter Miami now sets sights on Hong Kong. This will be followed by a journey to Japan, where they are scheduled to face Vissel Kobe on February 6th. The team will subsequently return home to clash with Newell’s Old Boys on February 15th before the season begins.

Dive Deeper: Saudi Chief on Lionel Messi Getting Benched: “He was Afraid of Losing Against Al Nassr Without Cristiano Ronaldo

It is worth noting that the MLS side has failed to win any of their previous four friendly matches. It will be intriguing to witness whether they can regain their momentum before their encounter with Real Salt Lake on the 21st of February.

WATCH THIS STORY: Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Make a Huge Assist for Esports Space