Lionel Messi was back in the Inter Miami squad on Saturday as the Argentine international and Luis Suarez ran havoc against the Philadelphia Union.
Two goals and an assist from the reigning Ballon d’Or winner was as poetic a performance as they come from Messi as the attacker marked his Inter Miami return with a Man of the Match display that had fans off their feet.
With Messi saying he felt tired after the game, though, there had been some concerns on whether or not the 37-year-old would make the trip to Atlanta United tonight, with Suarez also a potential doubt due to his own fitness issues.
Yet Inter Miami has now confirmed a plan for what to do with Messi and Suarez.
Messi and Suarez to travel with Inter Miami for Atlanta tie
Speaking to the Miami Herald, Tata Martino has confirmed that Messi and Suarez will both feature for Inter Miami against Atlanta later today as well as this weekend against New York City FC on the road.
With Inter Miami already through to the MLS play-offs and having one hand on the Supporters’ Shield title, the decision to bring Messi and Suarez on the road for two long away games is quite the surprise from the Herons.
Indeed, Messi and Suarez, as well as Sergio Busquets, were infamously left behind in Inter Miami’s 13-hour roundtrip to the Vancouver Whitecaps earlier in the year, a decision that led to outrage from some MLS fans.
Yet it appears that this won’t be the case for Inter Miami’s next two league games, with Messi and Suarez in line to feature for the Herons this week against both Atlanta and New York City.
Herons need to be careful with how much Messi actually plays
Messi’s return to action after three months away from Inter Miami has been a welcome boost for the Florida franchise heading into the MLS play-offs, yet the Herons need to be cautious on how much the forward actually plays.
There is obvious excitement surrounding Messi after his sensational comeback performance for Inter Miami on Saturday, with MLS fans now wanting more from the Argentine after such a long time away from the league.
Yet with Inter Miami confirmed for the post-season and only needing a few wins to clinch the Supporters’ Shield, Martino needs to realize that resting Messi as much as possible is for the best, even though there will be pressure for the forward to play.