Will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami in Leagues Cup clash against Tigres? Javier Mascherano provides update

Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano has remained coy about Lionel Messi's chances of featuring against Tigres in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal. The Florida-based club lock horns with the Liga MX side on Wednesday, August 20, at the Chase Stadium.

However, concerns remain about their Argentine maestro's fitness ahead of the crucial tie. La Pulga picked up a knock against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup group stage game at the start of August.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner subsequently missed the Herons' next two games, but returned against LA Galaxy over the weekend in the MLS. Lionel Messi came off the bench in the second half to score one goal and set up another in Inter Miami's 3-1 win.

However, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the Argentine was constantly touching his leg during the game, and walked off immediately after the final whistle. Recent reports have now suggested that La Pulga could miss the midweek tie, which will be a huge blow for the Herons.

Speaking to the press, Mascherano confirmed that the 38-year-old has trained separately from his teammates.

“We will keep monitoring him, I can’t say whether he will play or not, but he’s not ruled out,” said Mascherano.

Lionel Messi has scored 25 goals and set up 11 more from 32 games across competitions this season for Inter Miami.

What has Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Marcelo Weigandt said about his fitness?

Inter Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt has suggested that Lionel Messi recovers very quickly from injury. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has missed four games for the Herons this year due to injuries.

Despite turning 38 in June this year, La Pulga remains indispensable to the Herons' plans. Messi has helped the Florida-based club win the first two trophies in their history after arriving in 2023 as a free agent after the expiry of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Speaking recently to the press, Weigandt was full of praise for his countryman.

“I think having Leo in every match is exceptional. Last time he came on in the second half and did amazing things. He was injured, and honestly, he came back as if he was never injured at all. For me, it’s really wonderful to share the team with him daily and also in every match,” said Weigandt.

Messi's contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of this year and his future remains unclear.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit