INTER MIAMI
Lionel Messi injury latest update: when will he return?
The Argentine has been out of action since the final of the Copa América, but the signs look positive ahead of his long-awaited return.
If patience is indeed a virtue and the seventh-highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, then Inter Miami fans can start getting ready for a divine intervention. Lionel Messi has been tied to the sidelines of Chase Stadium’s pristine pitch like a chained dog salivating at the dropped biscuit just out of reach. Now it seems like his return is right around the corner.
Calling his absence long-awaited is both an understatement and an exaggeration at the same time: many players are out for much longer than Leo but waiting for such a talent, such a joy, such a figure of worship has been, at times, painful for Miami fans.
Inter Miami want Messi return within 2 games
The consolation of the fact that the rest of their players are indeed quite good has helped but nothing will compare to the feeling when the number 10 shirt is finally flitting around the pitch sprinkling the magic dust that is well overdue.
The latest reports say that Lionel Messi is now ‘in the final stages’ of his recovery from an ankle injury sustained in the Copa América final and that Inter Miami hope to have him back in their match day squad in a time window that spans over the next two matches. The club want him to ideally play a role in one of the next two games in the schedule, with Gastón Edul being the latest to report such information.
Of course, his participation in the games (against Philadelphia Union and Atlanta United) will undoubtedly be hugely limited, but the boost that Lionel Messi’s presence in the team will give his teammates, the fans, the coaching staff and the state of Florida will be crucial for the final part of the MLS 2024 season.
After 27 games played Miami have scored 62 goals, with Suárez, Alba and Busquets participating heavily alongside other talismanic figures such as Matías Rojas and Diego Gómez. As things stand, Messi-less Miami are top of the pops in the Eastern Conference table, with 59 points compared to FC Cincinnati, who sit on 51 points. Adding an 8-time Ballon d’Or winner to the mix can’t be a bad thing.