Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba both departed Wednesday’s win over Toronto FC in the first half, and have been ruled out for Miami’s next match on Sunday against Orlando City.
The Argentine superstar trudged off in the 37th minute of the match at DRV PNK Stadium, with Robert Taylor replacing him. The Herons would go on to win 4-0, with all four goals coming after both players exited.
The reason for Messi’s exit was not readily apparent. The Barcelona legend attempted to play a through ball for teammate Josef Martínez that was intercepted, and slowed measurably in the aftermath. After a few moments of slowly walking as Miami dropped into a defensive shape, Messi put his hands on his knees and stopped moving.
Within seconds, the ball went out, with Messi immediately walking to DeAndre Yedlin to hand over the captain’s armband before leaving the match.
Furthering the club’s worries, Alba was substituted three minutes earlier than Messi.
After the game, head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino admitted that taking Messi and Alba off “wasn’t part of the plan,” but added that the duo hadn’t sustained any new issues and were not suffering from any muscular injuries.
“They trained normally and we felt like they were ready to play. I don’t believe it’s anything new or anything worse than what they have. It’s fatigue. I don’t think it’s a muscular injury,” Martino said.
The coach added that both Messi and Alba would miss Sunday’s league match against Orlando City.
Messi missed Miami’s last game on Saturday with what Martino called “muscular fatigue” following the international break. During that window, Messi played in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Ecuador, but did not step on the field for a 3-0 victory at Bolivia.
Timing couldn’t be worse for Miami
Messi and Alba’s health issues are coming at a particularly rough time for Miami, which is chasing a playoff spot and a U.S. Open Cup title.
Miami has six games to go in the club’s immensely difficult pursuit of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Herons currently sit five points behind D.C. United, who hold the ninth and final postseason berth at the moment.
On top of that, Miami has a shot at its second trophy since Messi’s arrival coming up, with the U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo on September 27.
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