Tata Martino has issued an injury update surrounding Luis Suarez after the Inter Miami striker missed Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Tigres.
The Uruguay international did not travel to Houston for the Herons’ Leagues Cup group stage tie against the Mexican giants, with Lionel Messi also absent for Inter Miami as the club captain continues to recover from an ankle injury.
With Suarez starting and scoring against Club Puebla a week earlier, the striker’s absence on Saturday raised questions on if the attacker had also suffered an injury, with the 37-year-old’s fitness being a concern in a recent weeks.
Yet Martino has now shared some light on Suarez and what has actually happened to the forward.
Martino confirms Suarez does not have an injury after Inter Miami scare
Speaking to the press, Martino announced that Suarez does not have an injury and that the Inter Miami striker was merely rested for the trip to Houston to take on Tigres, with the Herons already through to the next round of Leagues Cup.
Martino said when asked about Suarez’s fitness: “Luis Suarez playing in the next round? We shouldn’t have any problems in making this happen. We left him in Florida so he can recover and be ready for the decisive matches.”
Given how important Suarez’s fitness has become and the circumstances of the match, resting the striker for Saturday could prove to be a good idea for Inter Miami in the upcoming Leagues Cup matches.
And with Suarez already fully fit, the forward being rested and raring to go for the knockout stages could be huge for Inter Miami in going all the way in Leagues Cup once again, with the Herons potentially the favorites this year.
Suarez will want to retain Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup title
Suarez has enjoyed a great first year in MLS with Inter Miami, with the forward surprising everyone with his performance as defenses have struggled to cope with the attacker’s world-class attacking qualities.
And this summer, Suarez will want to retain Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup title, with the Florida franchise in with a good shot of winning it once again even with Messi potentially out for the entire tournament.
A fully fit Suarez is just as important for Inter Miami than Messi, and with the Herons keeping the striker rested, there’s no telling how far the Florida franchise can go this year in Leagues Cup.