Is Lionel Messi injured? Will he miss the next Inter Miami game?

Inter Miami suffered a chastening 5-2 loss to Atlanta United on Saturday evening in a game that they were without Lionel Messi.

The 36-year-old was not in the Argentina squad to face Bolivia earlier this week and Miami head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino had confirmed that Messi would not be available for the trip to Georgia. The Herons took the lead at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium but were overwhelmed by an impressive Atlanta side.

Leonardo Campana scored two for Miami, including a brilliant early strike, but Miami were missing Messi’s spark in their attacking play.

The Herons have just seven games remaining to secure a spot in the 2023 MLS playoffs.

Is Lionel Messi injured?

While Messi’s absence is a major headache for Martino, it is not thought that it is a long-term issue. Ahead of the game the Miami head coach sought to assure supporters that the decision to leave Messi out of the team was simply a precaution to ensure that he is well-rested for the all-important run-in.

At 36 years old Messi is not able to play as frequently as he has done in the past and he has featured in nearly every minute since making his debut for Miami back in July.

With Miami’s unexpected run to lift the Leagues Cup, Messi ended up playing 11 games in his first six weeks in the United States. After taking a break for the game against Atlanta he should be back in contention for their next match.

What is Inter Miami’s next game?

Inter Miami will be desperate to get a positive result after Saturdays loss and they have a must-win fixture on the horizon. They host Toronto, who sit bottom of the Eastern Conference, in their next MLS game.

Italian internationals Lorenzo Insigne and Federiso Bernardeschi head to BMO Stadium on Wednesday, 20 September.

The game will be played at the local time of 7:30pm ET (5:30pm CT, 4:30pm PT). Also taking place in the MLS’ midweek schedule is DC United vs Atlanta United, CF Montréal vs FC Cincinnati and NYCFC vs Orlando City.