Inter Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino revealed on Friday that new team talisman Lionel Messi is likely to miss his team’s opening game of the new MLS season against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. This game would have been Messi’s MLS debut. This comes as Martino looks at how best to manage his team’s fatigue in what would be their seventh game in just 23 days.
“We will assess further after this evening’s training,” Martino revealed. “It is inevitable that we will not have him at some point.” Messi played in every minute of his team’s six previous matches. The Argentinian looked to be suffering from exhaustion during Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal win at FC Cincinnati, albeit still providing two assists across the 120-minute game.
Messi’s absence will provide a good indication of how strong Miami’s lineup is without their star man. Prior to the 36-year-old’s arrival, Inter Miami fell to the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference; 14 points adrift of the final playoff spot.
