Inter Miami team news: Is Lionel Messi playing against Monterrey?

The day of reckoning has arrived for Inter Miami. Head coach Tata Martino has made no secret of his decision to prioritise the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the early stages of the season, resting key players in MLS Games to ensure that the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez are fit and firing.

On Wednesday Miami Travel to Mexico for the second leg of their quarter-final against CF Monterrey. They trail 2-1 from the first leg, a significant, though not insurmountable, deficit. The Herons will have to be at their very best to progress against the Liga MX giants and have named a strong starting XI.

The big news for the Herons is that Lionel Messi will be fit to start against Monterrey. He returned from an injury absence against Colorado Rapids last weekend and impressed in his second half showing, scoring the leveller within minutes of his introduction.

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Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets both featured off the bench against Colorado, rested ahead of Wednesday’s do-or-die trip to Monterrey. The only member of the ex-Barcelona quartet who did not play last Saturday was Luis Suárez, but the Uruguayan striker has trained as normal this week and partners Messi up front.

Who is on the Inter Miami injury list?

The first few months of the Herons’ 2024 campaign have been blighted by injury. The four-Game absence of Lionel Messi robbed Miami of momentum in MLS and contributed to the first leg loss to Monterrey last week.

But the Argentine is far from the only one to make a trip to the medical room for Miami, who at one point had the longest injury list in the league. Ahead of the Monterrey clash the confirmed absentees are Ian Fray (ACL), Facundo Farias (ACL), Robbie Robinson (calf) and Federico Redondo (knee). Young midfielder David Ruiz is suspended after receiving two yellows in the first leg against Monterrey.

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The status of Robert Taylor, who was withdrawn with a muscular injury in the first half against Monterrey, is still unclear. The Finnish forward was not included in the matchday squad last weekend and is a doubt to play today. The prospects are better for Benjamin Cremaschi, who returned to the squad against Colorado after a three-month absence due to a Sports hernia.

What did Tata Martino say about Lionel Messi?

Although he was not on the field against Monterrey at Chase Stadium, Lionel Messi still made headlines in the first leg of this CONCACAF Champions Cup clash. The Argentine reportedly confronted match officials and clashed with members of the Monterrey coaching staff after the Game.

Monterrey assistant coach Nico Sanchez said that Messi was furious with the refereeing and the Mexican club subsequently filed an official complaint. Footage later emerged of Sanchez explaining the situation to friends in a voice note, describing Messi as a “possessed dwarf” in the leaked audio.

That contentious backdrop will only heighten the anticipation for Wednesday’s second leg. However, the Inter Miami boss insisted that Messi’s reaction was simply a sign of his competitive instinct and will to win.

Martino said: “He absolutely competes like this because he feels that way and the day he doesn’t feel that way he will leave football. No matter the situation he finds himself, or the league he plays in, in a friendly or decisive match, I don’t think he will confront it any other way than competitively, to the limit of his abilities. That’s what we expect from the whole team, not just him.”