INTER MIAMI
Lionel Messi “improving day by day” says Inter Miami assistant manager
Javier Morales has opened up on Lionel Messi’s recovery, saying he is closing in on a return to the pitch.
The need to obtain positive results in MLS is starting to become a priority for Inter Miami. The side have not been able to win in their last two league games and Lionel Messi’s absence has become a worry, especially after the painful result against Monterrey in midweek, which gives them a huge uphill task in Mexico.
The World Cup winner was expected to return to the field with Inter Miami in midweek in the CONCACAF Champions Cup loss to Monterrey, however, Gerardo Martino’s coaching staff assured that it was not the right time for the captain to make his much-anticipated comeback.
Messi “feeling better”: will he play for Inter Miami against Colorado?
Ahead of the MLS match against Colorado Rapids, Messi has shown signs that he could indeed see some minutes, as stated in a press conference this morning by Tata Martino’s assistant coach, Javier Morales.
“He has been improving day by day, it’s been seven days, so he is feeling better, he is training with the group so we are waiting for today’s training to see how he feels and then make a decision,” Morales revealed about Messi’s physical condition.
After the hamstring injury, everything points to Messi finally returning to the field and Javier Morales himself hinted that he may have some minutes against Colorado, however, he confirmed that it will depend on training in the run-up to the game.
Messi ‘has been participating quite a lot in training’
“Today we will see how he feels in training. If he (Messi) feels good, Tata will surely want to play him for 10 minutes, 15 or 45, but it is certain that we want to have him back,” Morales added.
Morales assured that the decision not to put Messi in against Monterrey was a precaution; despite the fact that Messi has already trained and has had a fair amount of participation in the sessions, they are still not in a position where rushing him back is worth the risk.
“He trains every day with the physio, sometimes he goes out on the field depending on how he feels, trains with the group and the physical part with the physio, but lately he has been participating quite a lot in training,” he said.
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Finally, Javi Morales said that they are also evaluating the particular cases of Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez, who in recent days have had a heavy match load and are likely to be rested before the second leg against Monterrey, but confirmed that all three are in good physical condition and their participation this Saturday has yet to be decided.
“When you play Saturday-Wednesday and again Saturday-Wednesday, especially with players like them (Suárez, Busquets and Alba), it’s a constant conversation to see how they feel and then as a whole make a decision, but they’re fine physically so we’ll see what decision we make,” he added.