Lionel Messi was recently called up for the Argentina national team
Lionel Messi could make his return from injury in Inter Miami’s clash against Cincinnati in the Major League Soccer (MLS).
Inter Miami fans are eager to see their Argentine superstar on the pitch.
The 36-year-old Argentine forward has missed five of Inter Miami’s last six matches, and another for Argentina in that span because of what was first called fatigue and later was determined to be a hamstring injury. He has not played since making a 37-minute appearance against Toronto on 20 September, when the leg issue forced him out before halftime.
Messi missed out on Wednesday night as Inter Miami fell 4-1 to the Chicago Fire in a hugely damaging result to its playoff chances. Saturday’s home game against FC Cincinnati is now essentially a must-win, with Miami currently five points back of a playoff berth with just three games left.
After the Chicago game, Martino said that Messi was improving and could potentially be ready to play at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday.
“Leo is closer to being able to play again,” Martino said at a press conference. “We’ll evaluate him tomorrow and Friday to see if he’s able to play.
After Messi trained on Friday, Miami assistant coach Javier Morales told reporters: “Surely after training we will make a decision, but every day it gets better.”
On X (formerly Twitter), Inter Miami seemed to indicate the Argentina superstar was ready to go by posting his picture along with the caption in Spanish: “Nos vemos mañana” (we’ll see you tomorrow).
Lionel Messi was recently called up for the upcoming international matches by Argentina. They will face Paraguay at home on October 12 before travelling to Peru for a match on October 17.
Will Lionel Messi return against Cincinnati?
Inter Miami will attempt to keep their MLS playoff hopes alive when they welcome FC Cincinnati to the DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday. FC Cincinnati have enjoyed a memorable campaign, winning 19 of their 32 matches to win the Supporters’ Shield for the first time in their history. FC Cincinnati is currently at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference standings and has been in impressive form this season.
The away side slumped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of New York Red Bulls last week and will need to bounce back in this match. Inter Miami, on the other hand, are in 14th place in the league table at the moment and have not been at their best in recent weeks. The Herons slumped to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Fire in their previous game and will need to work hard to bounce back this weekend.
Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami)
Busquets is one of the best one-touch midfielders in the world. He plays as a deep midfielder who dictates the team’s build-up with clever, short and longer passes. When the team attacks, he is always in the centre of the pitch and behind the ball in order to add defensive security to the team. His presence in the midfield helps the team to be more fluid and attack aggressively at the same time. He is one the best signing for Miami this season.
Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati)
Vazquez’s size allows him to receive possession in between the lines, holding the ball up while looking to work delicate passing combinations in between the lines to create goalscoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He can lay off passes as well as work through balls to runners while he can also operate as a chance creator in the final third, making runs into the channels to cross into the box. The positions he occupies in the box to make late runs are phenomenal as well while he is continuously focused, reacting quickly to saves and rebounds for tap-ins. He will be a big threat for the home team.
Match Facts
Inter Miami have an impressive record against FC Cincinnati and has won four out of the eight matches played between the two teams, as opposed to FC Cincinnati’s two victories.
After winning their first four matches against FC Cincinnati in all competitions, Inter Miami are winless in their last four such games but have never lost a home game against FC Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati have lost only three matches away from home this season – only two teams since 2012 have completed an entire MLS season with such a record away from home.
