Will Messi play when Inter Miami hosts Charlotte today?
Questions about star’s availability monopolize Herons’ coverage as Argentina commitment creeps closer
Lionel Messi holds the World Cup trophy he helped Argentina win in 2022. Photo: Getty Images
Will he or won’t he? Maybe.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano on Saturday told Miami Herald reporter Michelle Kaufman that Lionel Messi could return to the pitch as soon as today’s 5 p.m. EDT home match against Eastern Conference contender Charlotte FC.
Or not.
“I am not going to take unnecessary risks, especially in this first phase of the season.”
Javier Mascherano
“We are optimistic that if all goes well, there is a chance he will be on the roster for the game (Sunday),” Mascherano said, adding that it would be a game-day decision.
“I am not going to shoot myself in the foot. That would be crazy. There are situations that need to be addressed on a day-to-day basis, and I have to have the certainty that the players feel 100 percent. I am not going to take unnecessary risks, especially in this first phase of the season.”
Read Kaufman’s story here.
Messi hasn’t played for Inter Miami since Feb. 25 because of muscle fatigue. The Herons have won the two matches he’s missed, against Houston in an MLS regular season game and Jamaica’s Cavalier FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Meanwhile, the Argentine national team has called Messi up for important World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay (March 21) and Brazil (March 25), further complicating his availability as Mascherano tries to keep the 37-year-old fit and rested for the Herons’ busy calendar. Besides the Major League Soccer regular season and MLS Cup playoffs, Inter Miami is competing in Champions Cup and will participate in the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup and the Liga MX/MLS Leagues Cup later this year.
Inter Miami has road matches at Cavalier FC in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, and at Atlanta United on Sunday, March 16, before getting time off during the break for international competitions.
Charlotte brings new firepower to Miami
The Herons are 4-0-1 across all competitions (1-0-1 MLS), but Charlotte FC (1-0-1) is expected to challenge Inter Miami for the Eastern Conference championship. The Crown fielded one of the league’s stingiest defenses last season (37 goals allowed, second behind Seattle’s 35) and feature’s an offense boosted by the arrival of winger Wilfried Zaha, 32, on loan from Turkish side Galatasaray.
Wilfried Zaha won Man of the Match in Charlotte FC’s 2-0 win over Atlanta United last week. Photo: Getty Images
Zaha, from Ivory Coast, missed Charlotte’s first match to be with his wife while she gave birth to their daughter. He scored a goal and earned Man of the Match honors in a 2-0 home win against Atlanta United last week.
The playmaker is best known for his time with Crystal Palace in the English Premiere League; he scored 90 goals and assisted on 52 more in 458 appearances for the Eagles and has 10 goals and 5 assists in 43 matches for Galatasaray.
Kristijan Kahlina, the 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, anchors Charlotte’s 4-4-2 formation with Nathan Byrne and U.S. Men’s National Team veteran Tim Ream at right and left back, respectively, and center backs Addilson Malanda and Andrew Privett the center backs.
Kiel Abada joins Zaha on the wings, with Ashley Westwood and Eryk Williamson in central midfield.
Pep Biel and Patrick Agyemang are the forwards.
Herons feature added depth to help when Messi rests
Newcomer Telasco Segovia, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder from Venezuela, has scored three goals in his first two MLS matches. Photo: InterMiamiCF.com.
The Herons have improved the depth of last year’s Supporters Shield-winning squad at every position (with the notable exception of striker); Mascherano has taken advantage, using a variety of lineups over the club’s first five matches.
If Messi is fit to start, expect to see Inter Miami attacking in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Oscar Ustari in goal; Jordi Alba, Toto Aviles, Maximiliano Falcon and Ian Fray in the backline; Federico Redondo and Sergio Busquets as the pivot in the defensive midfield; and attacking midfielders Messi, Segovia, and Tadeo Allende playing behind Suarez.
Today’s match will be streamed on Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass beginning at 5 p.m. EDT (that’s Daylight Time, folks; make sure you’ve set your clocks ahead an hour).