Will Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi play against Orlando City in MLS? Is he injured?

Inter Miami are in action in midweek this week, with a clash against Orlando City coming up on Wednesday during MLS Rivalry Week. And not for the first time this season, there is a question mark surrounding the fitness of Lionel Messi.

What is Lionel Messi’s new injury?

The Argentina captain played the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s win away to Montreal but is now a doubt for the “Clásico del Sol” after it was revealed he is struggling with a knee issue.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Javier Morales, an assistant to Gerardo “Tata” Martino, revealed a decision would be made about whether Messi faces Orlando after the team’s latest training session. Since the weekend, the 36-year-old has only done a light recovery session.

“He took a knock to his knee on Saturday, but he was able to continue playing. He actually finished the game but he had to put some ice on it afterwards. Yesterday, he trained with the guys who did recovery training, some cycling and a little jogging out on the field. And now we’re going to assess him and the players who had a cramp to see how they feel and if they are ready for tomorrow,” Morales explained.

When will Diego Gómez be back for Inter Miami?

The Herons assistant was also asked about the fitness of Diego Gómez, who hasn’t played since 20 April because of a high-grade ankle sprain.

Morales revealed the Paraguayan was making good progress in his recovery but wasn’t quite ready to make his return having initially been ruled out for six weeks.

“Diego’s recovery is going well in relation to the timeframe he was give, although he’ll be a little slower in coming back because of the type of injury he has. But everything is going according to plan.”

Given the initial estimate, midfielder Gómez is likely to be back in action for The Herons in around three weeks’ time. He could therefore face a race against time to be ready for the home game against St Louis City on 2 June.