Lionel Messi made a successful return to the pitch with a goal for Inter Miami after recovering from injury. With a tight schedule ahead, coach Javier Mascherano addressed the star’s availability for the upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal against Los Angeles FC.
Messi suffered a minor left adductor injury during Inter Miami’s MLS match against Atlanta United, forcing him to miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil. His fitness remained in question throughout the week as he trained partially on his own and was left out of the starting lineup against the Philadelphia Union.
Messi came on in the 55th minute for Robert Taylor and made an immediate impact, scoring just two minutes later to help secure a key win. In the post-match press conference, Mascherano explained the plan behind Messi’s minutes:
“We wanted Leo to get some minutes. The idea was for him to come in for 30 or 35 minutes—today, with added time, he ended up playing a bit more, but he felt very good. We didn’t want to risk starting him because playing the entire match could have carried some risk. Luckily, he finished well, and we’re very happy about that.”
Will Messi travel to Los Angeles?
Inter Miami will visit LAFC on Thursday for the first leg of their Champions Cup quarterfinal—a crucial matchup in their pursuit of silverware. When asked about Messi’s availability, Mascherano didn’t hesitate:
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“The plan is for him to recover and travel to Los Angeles,” the coach stated. “Obviously, he played today because he was feeling good—we didn’t take any risks with him. Maybe he wasn’t ready for 90 minutes, but playing around 45 including stoppage time was good for him,” he added.
Messi looked sharp during his time on the field, raising fan expectations for his participation on Thursday. “If nothing unexpected happens, the plan is for him to travel,” Mascherano added, making it clear that, barring any setbacks, Messi will be available.
Inter Miami is entering a demanding stretch of fixtures. From March 29 (vs. Philadelphia) to April 13 (vs. Chicago Fire), they’ll play five matches in just 16 days across MLS and Champions Cup action. Given that schedule, Messi’s minutes will continue to be closely managed to avoid any risk of reinjury.
