Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed Lionel Messi will train as normal ahead of the match against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, dispelling injury rumors.
Concern arose after the captain was subbed off in the second half during the Concacaf Champions League second leg against Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday at Chase Stadium. But the move served as simply precautionary, allowing for the player to rest ahead of the team’s hectic schedule.
“Leo is fine, he is normal and he will train normally like all his teammates,” Mascherano said on Friday.
Former head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino often rested Messi when Inter Miami played three matches in the span of one week, but Mascherano insists every season is different.
Moving forward, as the team competes in the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS simultaneously, Mascherano will evaluate when and where Messi will be needed.
“Look, there are not two equal situations. And we have to put everything in context. We played in a knockout round. We started the season in Kansas, where the Champions League is an important competition for us,” Mascherano said.
“We also had the start of the MLS between the two games of the series. It is one of the competitions where we aim to compete and reach the highest possible.
“When we talk about being able to rotate or dose the players, we must see the context. The context is that we had to play three games in six days.
“We didn’t have the rest that we had to have before, because we were changed on the first match date. It is what it is, we adapt to the circumstances.
“We couldn’t modify anything. We asked to modify it and we couldn’t. Beyond that, obviously we have to try to take care of the players. When we find the right time to rest, we will rest. We will move forward.”
Messi is now in his third season with Inter Miami after joining the MLS club on July 15, 2023 on a two-year contract.
In an interview with Apple Music, the Argentina legend said he always intended to play in the North American league and constantly thought about the decision during his time with Paris Saint-Germain.
“I always had it in my mind to play in MLS,” Messi said. “During my last years in Paris, it was a decision that I had to make quickly because I had to leave Barcelona, those two years were not enjoyable for me.”
“I was not happy on a daily basis … I felt called to come to Inter [Miami] because it is a club that is growing, very new, I liked the idea of coming and helping the club become bigger, and I knew it was a city my family and I would enjoy.”
Since his arrival at Inter Miami, Messi has led the club to the 2023 Leagues Cup trophy and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield as well as helping the club break the MLS record for most points recorded in a single season.
Now the team will compete in four different tournaments in an attempt to lift another trophy in 2025.
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