Lionel Messi was absent as Inter Miami lost their first game since his arrival against Atlanta United, and he could now be set to miss the upcoming match against Toronto.
Messi featured for Argentina in the recent international break, scoring the winner against Ecuador before missing the victory away at Bolivia.
Messi missed the 5-2 thrashing by Atlanta with muscle fatigue, having played a lot since joining Miami in the summer, and may need more time to recover ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Speaking after the defeat, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino stated that the club will make a later decision on whether Messi would play a part against Toronto.
“They will train tomorrow (Sunday) and we will see day by day. Nothing changes our outlook on how he (Messi) will train. We have no urgency,” Martino claimed.
“If he is well and confident he can get to play and if this doesn’t happen he will wait a few more days.”
Messi’s absence was felt
The defeat, which saw both Messi and Jordi Alba miss the game, was Miami’s first in 12 games, and the first since before Messi arrived at the club.
Martino’s side competed well in the first half, with Leo Campana scoring twice, but succumbed to the home side’s pressure as they collapsed defensively.
Whilst Messi may not have prevented the goals conceded by his side, his absence was felt as the side lacked his presence and leadership in a tough away game.
It is unclear whether having Messi available would have seen Miami win the game, or if they would have still collapsed defensively, but what it did show is that Martino’s side still have some of the same problems they did before Messi joined in the summer, and they need to find a way of being less reliant on him.
If Messi is to miss the Toronto game, this will be another big test of Miami’s quality without the Argentina superstar.