Injured Lionel Messi did not play for Inter Miami in their 1-1 draw against New York City FC in the North American Championship (MLS) on Saturday, missing his third consecutive match.
A certain vagueness surrounds the physical state of Messi since he returned from the selection at the beginning of September with “muscle fatigue”, according to his trainer Gerardo “Tata” Martino. The Argentine world champion, aged 36, has since played only 37 minutes against Toronto on September 20, missing four matches, including three in a row. “He trains on the pitch, doesn’t do the same thing as the group, but he feels better and better,” assured Martino on Saturday, denying the rumors of the end of the season for the “Pulga”. “I can’t say today that he won’t play against Chicago (Wednesday) because he’s training better and better. There is no choice but to evaluate it day by day.
Messi also missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifier in Bolivia. On Wednesday, he watched his team’s defeat against Houston Dynamo in the US Cup final from the stands. Without its playing master, nor the Spaniard Jordi Alba, injured in the hamstring, Miami snatched a draw in added time against New York FC on Saturday (1-1). A new mixed result as the club, now 13th (out of 15) in the Eastern Conference, still hopes to qualify for the play-offs (the first nine teams). They have four regular season games remaining.
“Injuries are part of what can happen during a season, but they are rarely as numerous and important as in our case, but we have to accept it,” said Martino, who complained about the series of meetings and the “physical and mental” wear and tear of his group.
