MLS
Why doesn’t Lionel Messi play in every MLS match for Inter Miami?
Argentina captain Messi didn’t feature in the defeat to Montreal and fans may have to get used to watching MLS without him.
Eyebrows were raised in the last round of MLS fixtures when Inter Miami left Lionel Messi out of the match against Montreal. Age, however, catches up with everyone and the Argentina captain is no different. The 36-year-old has hardly had any major injuries during his long career but has understandably been finding it tough to keep up with The Herons’ hectic schedule at the start of the season.
Argentine star set to be rested before Inter Miami’s biggest games
Concerned about seeing his key designated player face a longer spell on the sidelines, Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino made the decision to rest Messi last weekend ahead of more important games. A tactic which could repeat itself throughout the season.
“We talked about it (Messi being left out of in some games) a week ago and we agreed that this would be the game for him to rest,” Martino revealed after the clash against Montreal, which The Herons lost 3-2.
The reasons Messi didn’t play against Montreal
The reasons for the former Barcelona star’s absence were two-fold - he took a knock in the CONCACAF Champions Cup game against Nashville three days earlier and has also been dealing with a minor hamstring issue since the preseason tour of Asia.
Las Garzas are desperate to avoid a repeat of what happened at the end of last season. Messi’s busy run of matches with both Inter Miami and Argentina proved too much, causing him to miss more than a month of action in September and October.
After winning the Leagues Cup in his first month in Florida, the Argentine was forced to miss sit out MLS games, with The Herons failing to qualifying for the postseason playoffs in his absence.
This year, the preference is to be without Messi for a few matches here and there to ensure he is fully fit for the biggest ones.
Inter Miami’s struggles without top stars
Messi’s no-show wasn’t the only negative to take from the Montreal game. Martino also rested other important figures such as Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, Diego Gómez and Julian Gressel, who had previously been almost ever-presents.
And without them, The Herons found it tough going, losing their first league game of the year.
Martino knows he has been tasked with challenging to win various competitions in 2024, although question marks remain as to whether Inter Miami are capable of doing so without all of their A-listers in the team.