Already absent during the previous match of his Miami team, Lionel Messi came off in the 37th minute of play on Wednesday against Toronto, but his coach wanted to be reassuring about the state of health of the Argentine star, simply mentioning the “fatigue”.

On Saturday, Messi watched Miami’s 5-2 defeat against Atlanta United from the sidelines, the Florida team’s first in the North American Football Championship (MLS) since the arrival of the Argentine No.10 in its ranks. Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said at the time that the player was suffering from “muscle fatigue”.

Messi appeared uncomfortable on Wednesday and moved cautiously before handing his captain’s armband to teammate DeAndre Yedlin and leaving the field, which did not prevent his club from ultimately winning 4- 0 against Toronto. Barely three minutes before Messi’s exit, it was his former Barça teammate, Jordi Alba, who had to leave the field. He, too, was absent during Miami’s loss to Atlanta on Saturday.

Miami coach Gerardo Martino then said both players would be absent for the Florida derby against Orlando on Sunday, and that their participation in next week’s US Open Cup final was in doubt.

“We will follow the progress day after day, see the doctors’ reports, what they tell us and we will make our decision. But obviously, there is no chance that they will be there on Sunday,” he said.

“I think there is nothing new or more serious, it’s just fatigue, I don’t think there is a muscle injury,” continued Gerardo Martino. “After speaking to them, I am less pessimistic than when I had to replace them.” “If we made them play, it was because they were in shape to play,” he also assured, refuting any pressure put on the players to take part in the match against Toronto.

Miami’s loss to Atlanta on Saturday marked the first in 12 matches in all competitions since Messi and Spaniards Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets joined the team in July.

Messi, 36, did not take part in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz last Tuesday, but watched the match from the sidelines.