Julian Gressel has given his verdict on when Lionel Messi could return from injury for Inter Miami.
The Herons captain missed last weekend’s 3-1 win against DC United after picking up a hamstring problem earlier in the week against Nashville SC.
With Messi now ruled out Argentina’s international fixtures this month, there’s a growing concern that the forward could miss some time out on the sideline through this latest injury.
Julian Gressel delivers verdict on when Lionel Messi might return
And speaking on the Player/Manager podcast, teammate Gressel didn’t clarify when Messi could be back, though the Inter Miami star sounded confident that the Argentine could be back soon.
With Messi expected to miss this weekend’s trip to face the New York Red Bulls, Messi might be fit enough in time to face New York City FC the week after, a prospect that could be exciting.
Gressel said: “Before this weekend there were some doubts, but now that he’s out for Argentina and with the Argentinan federation making a statement that he will miss the two friendlies in the US due to injury.
“That’s really all I know too, I don’t know how long he will be out after [after the international break], I certainly hope he will be back soon, especially for the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Monterrey, it’s a big one.
“Injuries are part of the game, and they can even happen to the greatest that’s ever played, it’s something we have to deal with and all the fans have to deal with it as well unfortunately. We will see how he feels, that’s the most important thing. You don’t want to risk anything or him being out longer than a couple weeks. We gotta manage it and Leo knows his body best, he will make sure that he’s 100% ready to go.”
Inter Miami need Lionel Messi back from injury soon
Messi has arguably got injured at the right time for Inter Miami, with the international break meaning every MLS side is missing key players and allowing stars who remained to have some rest.
And for this weekend, Inter Miami have a good chance of getting another road win without their superstar forward, with the Red Bulls missing some key names.
However, Inter Miami will want to see Messi return from injury soon, and a comeback date against New York City could be perfect for the Argentine.