Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has played down fears that Lionel Messi may have picked up an injury, after the superstar was seen limping during training.
The 36-year-old has taken to his new club by storm, scoring eight times in his first five games, but worry emerged ahead of Inter’s Leagues Cup fixture against Philadelphia Union, when he was spotted rolling his ankle in training.
Messi appeared to step painfully, going over his ankle, and initially limped after stepping awkwardly, and there were some fears among fans that this could be a problem for him.
However, Martino has confirmed that there are no new injury problems within the squad to be worried about and is not concerned about the clip of Messi which has emerged.
“I was only at a part of the session because I had a meeting afterwards and was finishing preparing, so I didn’t see exactly what happened. But if it was something serious, I’m sure everyone would have been shocked,” he stated.
“Since everyone was fine, I imagine nothing happened.”
The clip in question can be seen below:
Messi will be fine
Whilst awkward steps can be painful on ankles, Messi’s here appears to be nothing major, and he has travelled to Philadelphia for the game.
Knocks and bruises are a standard part of soccer, and Messi even passed the ball whilst limping in the clip. Whilst it may have taken some time for him to fully shake off the pain in his ankle, he did not appear to be overly concerned.
The upcoming Leagues Cup semi-final will be huge for Miami. A disastrous start to the season has the club bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, but Messi’s impact has led to five wins in a row in the cup.
It would be an incredible achievement if Miami can lift the cup, and they will have Messi to thank if they do.