Facing Tigres in the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami are without their talisman, Lionel Messi, who has been left out of the squad after missing training on Tuesday. Wednesday night’s critical clash will see one team advance to the final four teams standing in the competition, but Javier Mascherano has needed to be careful with the Argentine after he already missed two matches due to muscular issues.
During the weekend, Messi logged 45 minutes facing the Los Angeles Galaxy, picking up a goal and an assist in victory for the Herons, but just four days later, he’s out of the squad. It doesn’t seem like a time to panic because with the addition of Rodrigo De Paul in midfield, Miami’s squad has been strong enough to handle rotation due to De Paul already chipping in three assists in all competitions.
With two games remaining in August, before a slight break into September when the real end-of-season stretch begins, Mascherano will need Messi for as many league minutes as possible. The Herons have three games in hand but trail the FC Cincinnati for first place in the Eastern Conference by seven points. The top of the east is within reach, but if Miami don’t have a healthy Messi down the stretch, their odds of making it to the top will be slim. First, they’ll have to get past Tigres to continue their march through the Leagues Cup, but as long as they do that, there’s no reason to worry.
