According to coach Mascherano, the main reason Messi was rested in the last two matches of Inter Miami was due to muscle overload. "He is much healthier now, but there is no guarantee for the next matches," the 40-year-old Argentine coach expressed before the match against Charlotte FC at 3:00 a.m. on March 10 in the third round of the MLS.
Messi cannot risk playing because of muscle overload
Messi still trained normally with his teammates without any incident. Coach Mascherano also confirmed that the 37-year-old player completed training sessions as usual, but remained vague about whether he would be able to play or not.
According to Deporte Total USA : "Sources from within the team confirmed that Messi is expected to return to the lineup for the match between Inter Miami and Charlotte FC. But how many minutes this famous player will play, or whether he will play from the beginning of the match, is still open. Coach Mascherano did not announce the official player list, but left it until close to match time. This is quite new compared to under coach Tata Martino."
"It is understandable that coach Mascherano has to protect Messi, because Inter Miami still has many important matches ahead. Messi was out for nearly 2 months last season due to muscle overload, which greatly affected the team's championship goals such as the MLS Cup.
If Messi plays in the match against Charlotte FC, then the next match in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League against the Cavaliers away (first leg Inter Miami won 2-0) on March 14, there will be no guarantee that this famous player will be present on the trip to Jamaica to continue playing," Deporte Total USA emphasized.
Messi has scored 2 goals and had 2 assists in the last 3 matches for Inter Miami
Meanwhile, Messi is expected to return to the Argentina national team after the Inter Miami match against Atlanta United away on March 17, and play the 2026 World Cup South American qualifiers against Uruguay (March 22) and Brazil (March 26).
In addition to Messi, Inter Miami is also likely to be without several key players due to injuries, including Maximiliano Falcon, Marcelo Weigandt, Drake Callender and Robert Taylor. The good news is that Haitian striker Fafa Picault has returned to training after recovering from a muscle injury.
Deporte Total USA also revealed that Inter Miami has successfully recruited player Baltasar Rodriguez from Racing Club in Argentina with a loan contract until December 2025 with the condition to buy from 2026. Thereby, adding to the current squad to have enough strength to conquer up to 5 important tournaments in 2025, including MLS, MLS Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-mascherano-len-tieng-ve-tinh-trang-moi-nhat-cua-messi-co-bap-co-van-de-185250309084224502.htm
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