After Lionel Messi missed the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday, Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino insisted that the Argentina superstar would play again this season.
Messi watched on in street clothes as Miami fell 2-1 to the Houston Dynamo, with the visitors scoring two first-half goals and holding on late after the home side grabbed a goal in second-half stoppage time.
The Open Cup final was the third game out of four that Messi has missed, while he was removed before halftime of the only game he played — last week’s win over Toronto FC.
The nature of Messi’s issue isn’t fully clear. Martino has continued to say that the 36-year-old isn’t actually injured, but instead is dealing with “muscular fatigue” and “old scar tissue.”
But when Messi couldn’t even make the bench for a final, it was clear that he is dealing with an issue slightly more serious then mere fatigue.
After the game, however, Martino said that his star player’s season wasn’t over.
“It was not prudent for him to play, not even to consider him for a few minutes because we would have run risks,” Martino said in a press conference.
“And yes, he will surely play before the end of the season.
“We will go match by match defining the situation to see at what point the medical department tells us that he is fit to play without taking risks.”
Inter Miami is still alive for a playoff spot, but is 14th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. With five games to play, Miami is five points back of NYCFC in the ninth and final playoff position in the East.
Though Miami has two games in hand over NYCFC, it still has to leapfrog five teams to move into playoff position.
The Herons’ next game, coincidentally, is against NYCFC on Saturday.
[lawrence-related id=29433,29389,29352]