Football legend Lionel Messi will not be on the field for Inter Miami’s important Leagues Cup match against Pumas UNAM due to a minor muscle injury.
According to his coach, Javier Mascherano, the star forward sustained a “minor muscle injury” in his upper right leg during Miami’s win over Necaxa last Saturday. While there is no set timetable for his return, Mascherano expressed hope that Messi would be back on the pitch soon.
“Within the bad news, it’s good news,” Mascherano told reporters. “He usually recovers very well from injuries and, above all, normally does so with speed, so we will see. But clearly, for tomorrow he is unavailable. Then we’ll see how he feels and how he progresses.”
Messi, who leads the league with 18 goals this season and helped guide Miami to the Leagues Cup title in 2023, will be a significant absence for the team. Inter Miami will likely need a win over Pumas in their final group stage match to reach the quarter-finals. If they progress to the knockout stage, Messi would have two weeks to recover before the next round.
