Argentine Gerardo Tata Martino, the technical director of the club, explained: Inter MiamiThe team’s star player, Lionel Messi, who is suffering from an injury he sustained in the 2024 Copa America final, will not be able to participate with the team in the Columbus Crew match in the Leagues Cup.
Despite Lionel Messi’s improved health, having suffered a serious foot injury while playing for Argentina in the Copa America final, coach Gerardo Martino has denied that there is a specific date for his return to group training.
Lionel Messi continues to miss Inter Miami
Messi, who has been injured in his right ankle since the Copa America final on July 14, will miss the match. Columbus Crewwithin the competitions of the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup, which includes clubs from the American Elite League, the Mexican Premier League and the Canadian Premier League.
“Lionel Messi, as always in constant development, is still not known when he will be able to join the group, and he is still training alone,” Martino said in press statements.
The 37-year-old star suffered an injury to his right ankle in the match in which his country’s team won against Colombia in the Copa America final, which was won by the Tango for the second time in a row.
Inter Miami, who are defending their title in this continental tournament, will play away from home against the very strong Columbus Crew, the defending MLS Cup champions.
The Argentine coach pointed out that Columbus Crew is “the best team in the American League”, and stressed that they have “a very distinctive style of play and usually conquer their opponents”, explaining that they make “the game go the way they want” and that they also have “very good individual qualities”.
Lionel Messi previously led Inter Miami to win the League Cup title last season, after defeating Nashville on penalties, in August of last year 2023.
Inter Miami, which was founded four years ago, was at the bottom of the MLS standings when Messi joined last year, and he succeeded in turning them into a winning team after a series of victories in the League Cup.
