Lionel Messi has been named to Inter Miami’s matchday squad for Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids, with the Argentine legend potentially set to play his first game in a month.
Messi has been sidelined for six matches now with a hamstring issue, most recently missing out as Inter Miami fell 2-1 to Monterrey in a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
Following that match, head coach Tata Martino said that Miami was evaluating Messi on a “game-to-game” basis.
Ahead of next week’s return leg in Mexico, the 36-year-old has taken his place on Miami’s 20-man matchday roster for a MLS clash with Colorado at Chase Stadium.
With nagging injuries plaguing Messi and a jam-packed schedule for Miami, the 36-year-old has played in just five of the Herons’ 10 competitive matches in 2024. This year, Miami has not lost a game that Messi has appeared in, but has just one win without him.
The club’s update on Messi’s status noted that the superstar is not listed at all on an updated injury report for the weekend. That’s welcome news, as Miami confirmed that seven players will miss out against the Rapids.
That includes winger Robert Taylor, who exited early against Monterrey on Wednesday, as well as highly-rated young midfielder Federico Redondo.
However, Messi isn’t the lone player to come off the injury report. U.S. men’s national team prospect Benjamin Cremaschi is also on the gameday roster after coming through a 25-minute appearance for Miami’s MLS Next Pro side on Tuesday. Cremaschi, 19, has yet to appear for Miami this season after suffering a sports hernia in January.
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