Suarez doubtful for Inter Miami game at Minnesota, Callender sidelined after surgery
Luis Suarez had to go out of town for personal reasons and is doubtful for the Inter Miami game on the road Saturday against Minnesota United.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano did not share details about Suarez’s situation and did not say when he was expected to rejoin the team.
Another player who is out indefinitely is goalkeeper Drake Callender. The club announced that Callender had undergone surgery for a sports hernia on Friday morning and the date of his return will be determined in the coming weeks.
Callender, the starter and co-captain the past few years, was injured in mid-January while with the U.S. national team and was replaced by Oscar Ustari during his recovery. He returned to the starting lineup on April 27 against FC Dallas but felt discomfort and has not played since.
Callender posted a message to his fans on social media: “Today, I successfully underwent a sports hernia surgery. I have been dealing with this for some time now, and I decided this was the best decision and timing for my career.”
He went on to thank his family, friends, doctors and the Inter Miami organization.
“The road to recovery has begun, and I will do everything in my power to get back on the pitch and doing what I love. Yours truly, Drake.”
Suarez, the 38-year-old Uruguayan forward, had just broken out of a nine-game goalless slump with a goal against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
Eighteen-year-old Allen Obando of Ecuador, who signed with Inter Miami last month, is a likely candidate to replace Suarez in the starting lineup as center forward is his primary position. He has scored one goal since his arrival.
Mascherano said other options include Fafa Picault, who scored against the Red Bulls, and Tadeo Allende, who began the season with four goals but has admittedly had a dip in performance and is looking to get back in peak form.
Although Suarez has not been as prolific this season as he was last year, when he was a finalist for the Golden Boot award with 20 goals, the Inter Miami attack will feel his absence.
“He is a world-class player with incredible experience, despite having a stretch where he didn’t score,” Mascherano said. “He helps us defensively, the way he organizes the team when we press, his understanding of the game. For forwards, it’s very important for them to produce on the offensive side, but also, we can’t disregard the defensive role they play.”
Mascherano will not release Saturday’s starting lineup until an hour before the game, but Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are likely to be among the Starting XI.
One player who has been making a strong case to be full time starter is Yannick Bright, the Italian American defensive midfielder who was drafted out of the University of New Hampshire before the 2024 season. He breaks up opponents’ attacks time and again, steals the ball, pairs well with Busquets, and never stops running.
Mascherano praised Bright for his work rate after the victory over New York and said the coaching staff is working on finding ways to improve his stamina.
“He’s a great player, and when he has to come off, it’s usually because he’s completely exhausted because he runs so much,” Mascherano said. “We have to manage his minutes carefully, so he doesn’t burn out. He and Fede [Redondo] provide crucial support to Sergio [Busquets], who looks fresher thanks to those supporting players around him.”
Bright said he is capable of playing for 90 minutes, and did so last season, but with the crowded schedule so far this year, there has been less time to run and train at full speed.
“It’s just that it’s hard playing 15 minutes one game and then three days later starting and then another 15 minutes three days later, it’s hard to get in a rhythm,” Bright said Friday morning. “Yes, I’m missing some stamina. But, it’s the Florida weather, too. It’s really, really hot, I’m sweating a lot. I’ve got to be more hydrated, I guess.
“Obviously, playing every three days doesn’t make us train the way we want. [The veteran players] are used to it, so I guess they can do it. The thing for me with three games in a week is we don’t train as hard the day before the game, the day after you don’t train as hard, either. So, I just get one training day in between two games I start, and that doesn’t really help be build fitness.”
Bright said he has been working with the trainers and running more after practice.
“If we look at these three months, we have had very few weeks where we could train full time, but that is the schedule we have been handed, can’t do anything about it,” Mascherano said. “Yannick is a player who is important to the team, he showed that last year, someone who offers a lot of solutions and we are very happy with his performance.”
Bright has evolved from a little-known college draft pick to a key player. He said the biggest difference is his confidence.
“Obviously, I came in as a draft pick, not knowing what to expect, and these guys are from Barcelona, but now I know I can compete at their level,” Bright said.
He has been working on getting on the ball more and getting more confidence in that aspect of his game. Bright and Redondo have been rotating in the starting lineup. Asked how they are different, Bright said: “He’s really, really good with the ball, a really good passer, and I’m more of a ball recoverer. I am working on my passing and I think I have gotten better.”
Bright credits former teammate Julian Gressel for helping him develop and is looking forward to playing against Gressel on Saturday. Inter Miami waived Gressel last week and he joined Minnesota.
“I can’t wait, Julian has been my mentor since I got here,” Bright said. “And we have the same agent, too. So, we have things in common. He’s been an important part of my development here and I owe him a lot.”
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This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 6:31 PM.