Inter Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Friday that Lionel Messi’s availability for his potential MLS debut this weekend remains up in the air.
Inter Miami is in New York preparing for Saturday’s contest against the New York Red Bulls, the team’s seventh game in just 23 days.
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“We will assess further after this evening’s training,” Martino said. “It is inevitable that we will not have him at some point.”
The 36-year-old Messi has played every minute of Miami’s past six games and looked exhausted at times in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal win at FC Cincinnati, which went the maximum 120 minutes. Messi claimed two assists and converted the opening kick in the penalty shootout victory.
The team flew straight to New York from Ohio, and had a recovery session at the hotel after arriving Thursday. It will have a light practice Friday at Red Bull Arena.
“This will happen at least three times this year, and next year more,” Martino said regarding the potential resting of Messi, either for an entire game or part of one. “We will have to find a solution.”
