Inter Miami chief points the blame after Lionel Messi injury

Lionel Messi will sit out the March international break due to injury, sparking some controversial claims from an Inter Miami team executive.

The Argentine played and scored in last weekend’s win over Atlanta United but Messi picked up a minor muscular injury during the game. He had been called up for Argentina’s games against Brazil and Uruguay but he has subsequently had to withdraw from the squad.

Atlanta are one of a number of MLS teams who play on an artificial field. In the aftermath of Sunday’s game, Miami’s president of business operations Xavier Asensi took to social media to slam the surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Asensi wrote: “Thank God we won!! VAMOOOS! This plastic surface we have to play on is simply [thumbs down]... We’ll have to be back at it for @fifaclubworldcup … with natural grass though.”

It has not been confirmed that Messi’s injury was a result of the artificial surface and it looks more likely to be a reoccurrence of the muscular injuries that have plagued him during his time with Miami.

However he wouldn’t be the first to worry about the surface. In the past the likes of Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all swerved artificial fields during their MLS careers.

For his part Messi did not point the blame at the Atlanta stadium, writing on Instagram: “It’s a shame to miss these two special matches with the national team against Uruguay and Brazil. As always, I wanted to be there, but at the last moment, a minor injury forced me to take a break before playing again, and I had to step aside.“”

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