Tata Martino has teased that Lionel Messi could feature for Inter Miami against Atlanta United if the forward returns to Florida fit enough.
Speaking to the Athletic, the Herons manager revealed that the Argentine forward could play in Georgia this weekend if Messi returns to Miami in good condition.
The 36-year-old didn’t feature at all for Argentina in their final FIFA World Cup qualifier of the September international break against Bolivia having picked up a small knock.
Given the magnitude of this weekend’s MLS clash against Atlanta, Messi being fit enough to fit for Inter Miami could be the difference between three points of nothing at all.
And Martino has teased that Messi could play, with the coach saying: “Regardless of how important a match is, we have to make sure that all of the players are fit, not take risks with them or make an injury worse.
“We’ll evaluate him as soon as he arrives and decide what is the best course of action for our upcoming games.”
Inter Miami will hope Messi can feature for Atlanta in some form
Messi featuring for even five minutes on Saturday could be massive for Inter Miami in their quest to clinch the MLS playoffs, with Atlanta arguably their biggest test yet.
Gonzalo Pineda’s side are the form team in the division not named Inter Miami, and Messi being fit for the clash could have huge consequences on the entire fixture.
Martino’s comments might not give too much away, but for many fans, Messi being fit will be key in Inter Miami leaving Atlanta this weekend with another three points.