Lionel Messi suffered an injury in the Copa America final against Colombia in July and has yet to return. Including the time he spent on international duty with Argentina, Messi has missed 11 matches for Inter Miami.
Inter Miami hope Messi can return by the end of August. However, the Florida team does not want to risk Messi’s health and will only play when he is fully ready. Messi can currently train alone on the field with a personal trainer, but is not ready to play.
With Inter Miami almost certain to qualify for the Playoffs, the team is not in a hurry with Messi’s injury. At 37, Messi is no longer in the best shape. Therefore, Inter Miami is willing to wait.
Messi has been absent from the Inter Miami squad since June. Photo: AP
MLS will return on August 25, after a month-long hiatus to make way for the Leagues Cup. This is the only arena where Inter Miami still has a chance to compete for a title.
Inter Miami were previously eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup. They also recently became the former Leagues Cup champions when they were eliminated in the round of 16 in the absence of Messi.
Inter Miami enters the 2024 season with high expectations as it will be Messi’s first full season with the team. Compared to 13th/15th place in the Eastern Conference, Inter Miami has improved significantly this season. The club currently leads the Eastern Conference with 53 points, 5 points ahead of 2nd place Cincinnati.
This season, Messi has made 15 appearances for Inter Miami, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists. El Punga is the key factor in helping Inter Miami transform from a mediocre team into a contender for the MLS championship.
