Busquets doubtful for Inter Miami’s Clásico clash with Orlando
Gerardo Martino’s team trained without Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets ahead of Sunday’s game against Orlando City.
Inter Miami are guests of Orlando City at Exploria Stadium on Sunday in the Clásico del Sol - a relatively new rivalry in MLS between Las Garzas and Los Leones. Two of Miami’s summer arrivals, Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have already been ruled out of the game and they could be joined by their old Barça team mate Sergio Busquets who failed to show at Friday’s session.
Messi and Alba were both subbed off early in the last game, against Toronto FC - the full-back leaving the field on 34 minutes and the Argentine forward following him to the dug-out three minutes later.
This afternoon, Franco Panizo posted a video of Inter Miami’s training session in which the three former Barcelona stars were missing. Busquets completed the Toronto game, but his absence out on the practice pitches was noticed.
With just two days left to prepare for the game, coach Tata Martino may find himself forced to rotate his roster for a crucial game that his side need to win to remain in with a chance of reaching the MLS playoffs.
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“Leo is struggling with an old scar tissue problem and Jordi has muscular fatigue. We are monitoring their progress day by day,” the Miami coach explained after the session.
Ahead of the derby, Inter Miami are currently 13th in the MLS Eastern Conference with 31 points from 28 games played. Martino’s men are five points off the last playoff place, occupied by DC United.