Here’s the latest on Messi status for Sunday’s Inter Miami home game vs. Charlotte FC
There was promising news from the Inter Miami training grounds on a sunny Saturday morning: Coach Javier Mascherano said Lionel Messi, who sat out the past two games with muscle fatigue, has improved and he is hopeful the Argentine captain will be on the game roster for Sunday’s MLS home game against Charlotte FC.
But he added that the club will not take any risks with the health of the Argentine captain, or any other player, especially this early in the season.
“Leo is much better,” Mascherano said. “Like I always say, especially ahead of an MLS game when we have one more training to go, we will evaluate it. We are optimistic that if all goes well, there is a chance he will be on the roster for the game [Sunday].”
He added that Messi participated in the majority of the training session the past few days. Messi was held out of the 4-1 road win against Houston Dynamo Mar. 2 and the 2-0 win over Jamaican club Cavalier Thursday in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.
The coach said after Thursday’s game that he was told by the medical staff that Messi did not have an injury but was dealing with fatigue from playing three games over a span of seven days.
Asked to address the public perception that the team might hold Messi out of certain games to save him for games that are deemed more important by the club, Mascherano replied: “Do you think the game the other day against Cavalier wasn’t important? Nah.
“When we are planning rosters with so many games in a short period of time, especially at the start of a long year, yes, clearly, we must manage minutes and rotate players, to avoid injuries and to keep the team fresh. We want the starting 11 for each game to be the best 11 we can put out, with energy and fresh legs.”
He added that they make decisions based on suggestions of the medical team and the feelings of the players, who know their bodies best. That has been the case with Mess and with goalkeeper Drake Callender, who has yet to play for Inter Miami this season after injuring his right adductor muscle while at U.S. national team camp in January.
“In Drake’s case, clinically, he is fine, but he doesn’t feel 100 percent and we have to listen to him,” Mascherano said.
The coach said he knows fans are disappointed when Messi does not play.
“I understand the fans’ frustrations, and I am the first person who wants Leo to play,” the coach said. “We are a stronger team when he plays. I am not going to shoot myself in the foot. That would be crazy. There are situations that need to be addressed on a day-to-day basis, and I have to have the certainty that the players feel 100 percent. I am not going to take unnecessary risks, especially in this first phase of the season.
“There will come a point where the reality is we will have to take more risks, and we will.”
Inter Miami is 4-0-1 so far this season across all competitions with a tough test against Charlotte at 4 p.m. Sunday and a road trip to Jamaica for Thursday’s second leg of the Champions Cup against Cavalier.
Charlotte tied its season opener 2-2 against the Seattle Sounders and beat Atlanta United 2-0 on Saturday. Wilfried Zaha, making his MLS debut, set up one of Charlotte’s goals and scoring another. Zaha, the 32-year-old from Ivory Coast, scored 68 goals for Crystal Palace of the English Premier League.
“Charlotte has a very strong team and started well the first two games,” Mascherano said. “We expect a tough game. We have to adjust a lot from the last game to be prepared to play them. Zaha is an experienced player from there Premier League and is a difference maker.”
How to Watch Inter Miami vs. Charlotte FC
Kickoff is at 4 p.m. at Chase Stadium. Tickets are available through TicketMaster. The game will be broadcast on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.