Lionel Messi was replaced due to muscular tiredness in the 37th minute of Inter Miami CF’s 4-0 triumph against Toronto FC on Wednesday, only minutes after his former Barcelona colleague Jordi Alba had also exited the pitch.
After the game, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said that both Alba and Messi will be assessed in the following days, but that neither player would be eligible to play against Orlando City on Sunday in order to be ready for the US Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo next Wednesday.
“There is no way they will be there on Sunday.” “I know we have a final to play [next Wednesday], but they won’t go near the pitch if they can’t play,” Martino stated.
Messi and Alba, who both began the game after missing Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to Atlanta United FC, were not engaged in any especially strong tackles or overtly hobbling but were obviously in some form of physical pain.
“They trained normally, and we felt like they were ready to play,” Martino said via an interpreter. “I don’t believe it’s anything new or worse than what they had before.” It’s tiredness. We don’t believe it’s a muscle injury. That is also from a recent talk I had with [Messi]. But we have to continue being vigilant and we’ll look at him the following several days.”
After leaving the field, both players headed directly to the bench rather than the locker room, and Miami’s Facundo Faras scored soon thereafter to give the home club a 1-0 lead at halftime. Robert Taylor then scored two magnificent goals in the second half, each side of a Benjamin Cremaschi strike, to earn the three points.
Messi looked active early on and had a glorious opportunity in the 23rd minute when his far-post volley was blasted over the bar from close range. However, 15 minutes later, it was evident that the Argentine was labouring due to some physical condition, and he was replaced by Taylor.
Alba had left only four minutes before Messi. Toronto also made two replacements before the Miami pair departed the game, with another former Barcelona youth player, Victor Vasquez, pushed out in the 12th minute. Only 14 minutes later, his substitute, Brandon Servania, was taken off the pitch with an apparent knee injury.
Before leaving, Messi seemed to be battling with a leg problem. He was extending his right leg during play, then pulled off his captain’s armband and merely waited for play to finish so he could leave – without even waiting to step off the pitch before unlacing his studs, dropping his socks and removing his shin protectors.
Messi had missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifying triumph against Bolvia on Sept. 12 and the defeat to Atlanta on Saturday.
In both situations, fatigue was stated, and Messi was not available for remark.
Wednesday’s encounter was the first of six in 17 days for Inter Miami. Following the games against Orlando on Sunday and Houston in the Open Cup on September 27, Miami will play three more MLS matches in a row, against New York City FC on September 30, Chicago Fire FC on October 4, and FC Cincinnati on October 7.
With two games remaining, Miami is five points behind D.C. United, who drew 1-1 with Cincinnati on Wednesday, for the last Eastern Conference playoff place.
Messi entered Wednesday having played 11 games for Miami, the majority of which were in League Cup and U.S. Open Cup action. In his first 11 games, he recorded 11 goals and five assists, including one goal and two assists in three MLS games.
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