Lionel Messi to miss Miami’s game against NYCFC
“We are doing all we can to get Messi ready for next Wednesday. There is a possibility he will play in that game,” said Miami coach Javier Morales.
Lionel Messi’s hamstring injury will keep him sidelined for Inter Miami’s home game against New York City FC on Saturday, but he could return for the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg against Mexico’s Monterrey on April 3.
After missing Saturday, Messi will have played in nine of 19 MLS matches since joining Miami last summer.“He is working with the physios,” Miami coach Javier Morales said Friday, “but he won’t be available because we are doing all we can to get him ready for next Wednesday.
The 36-year-old also missed Argentina’s exhibitions this month against El Salvador and Costa Rica.Miami has won all five matches that Messi has played in this season but has lost two of three without him, including a 4-0 defeat at New York last Saturday.
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Messi has not recovered after tweaking a hamstring during Miami’s 3-1 victory over Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup last week and will miss the international friendlies. Messi, who was substituted just after half-time in the win over Nashville, missed Miami’s win over D.C. United in Washington on Saturday.“The captain of Argentina, Lionel Messi, will not be able to be in the squad for the friendlies in USA due to a minor injury to the hamstring of his right leg suffered in his team’s match against Nashville SC,” the Argentine federation said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Miami coach Gerardo Martino had hinted after his team’s win over Washington on Saturday that Messi might miss the March internationals, saying the team wanted to ensure he was fit for next month’s CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals.“It is clear that with him there is an objective that he can play in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
We’re not going to take any risks,” Martino said.After last week’s painful loss in MLS against the NY Red Bulls and a long week of work, Inter Miami are planning for the least amount of rotations available in the team. Even though they have the game against Monterrey on the horizon, The Herons plan to go into the match against NYCFC with their best starting XI.
Likewise, Tata’s assistant knows that the team must perform well in front of the fans after the painful defeat against the Red Bulls; in a key week they will seek to regain confidence on the field and bring smiles to those who were hurt after the 4-0 drubbing at the Red Bull Arena.
Finally, Morales acknowledged that although they are aware that the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals against Monterrey is a already crucial fixture in the season, the side are not thinking about that game right now and are totally focused on getting three points against NYCFC.
“The most important thing for us is the next game, that next game is tomorrow and for now it is the most important thing. After tomorrow’s game we will start thinking about the draw against Monterrey, we know it’s an important game but we can’t think about it yet, concluded Morales..