When could Lionel Messi return from injury? Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino gives positive update

Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino suggested on Saturday that Lionel Messi could be weeks away from returning to the pitch, offering the team a significant boost ahead of the MLS Cup playoffs.

Messi has not played since injuring his ankle during Argentina's win in the Copa America final on July 14, missing eight Inter Miami Games during that stretch, including their run to the Leagues Cup round of 16. The star also pulled out of the MLS All-Star Game on July 24 and will miss Argentina's World Cup qualifiers this month but has slowly been building fitness recently.

Messi has been training with his Inter Miami teaMMAtes over the last few weeks and technically could have played on Saturday against the Chicago Fire, though Martino opted against it, per The Miami Herald. The target, instead, is Miami's next Game against the Philadelphia Union on Sept. 14 after the international break.

"Leo has been training with the group for some time now, but we felt that for the time he could have given us in this Game it was better to give him these next 15 days and to see if we can have him available for our next Game against Philadelphia," Martino said following the team's 4-1 win in Chicago.

Though Miami have already clinched a playoff berth, Messi's return could improve their bid to win the club's first-ever MLS trophies. Miami are currently the Supporters' Shield leaders, thanks in large part to Luis Suarez's 16-goal season, which includes two against the Fire. The group will soon be entered into the race for MLS Cup, already doing better than last season's failure to qualify for the playoffs.

It has been an injury-plagued season for Messi even before his Copa America injury, but he has still been quite efficient for his club team. He has 12 goals and 13 assists in 12 MLS games this season, just four goals behind team leader Suarez and five behind league leader Christian Benteke of D.C. United.