Lionel Messi to make a comeback to Inter Miami ahead of the MLS Playoffs
Inter Miami star man Lionel Messi has been out of action due to an ankle problem that has kept him out of Argentina’s September World Cup qualifiers. Reports recently came that Messi is going to make his return to the pitch soon, and now it looks like the Argentine forward may kick off before the MLS playoffs.
Lionel Messi suffers ankle injury, recovery update
Tata Martino, the head coach of Inter Miami, gave an update on Messi’s recovery in the latest press conference. Though he said no one could make a timeline as to when Messi was going to return, the captain is recovering well through individual training and will turn out for the Herons before the end of the regular MLS season.
“There is no estimated time for his return,” Martino told. “It’ll depend on how he feels and on the summation of training sessions.” When asked directly if Messi would feature in the regular season, Martino responded in the affirmative—a pointer that the coach is quite optimistic about the player’s return to competitive action.
Current Status of Inter Miami
The injury to Messi kept him out of action for over two months, thus missing the Copa America. In his absence, Inter Miami did well to run its charge into the Round-of-16 in the Leagues Cup and showed it was strong even without its star player. The Herons still hold a good position in the MLS Eastern Conference table, with a five-point lead at the top.
The Herons are now prepping for a final push of regular season games before diving into the playoffs, with only a few weeks remaining in the MLS season. This season’s final regular season week will close on October 19, where Inter Miami hopes to have their position clinched before heading into the postseason.
Expected Return of Messi
Although Martino could not give an exact date for Messi’s return, this assurance that he was going to feature during the regular season was just music to Inter Miami’s ears. His team wants the captain back in thick action as they head into the crucial playoff games. He would mean so much in their campaign towards the MLS title, and with his capacity to influence games and inspire team-mates, he made it possible.
Messi’s recovery timeline will be checked as he continues to train individually. On the coaching staff and medical team lie the progress in gauging that the forward is fully fit to feature in competitive play. Hopefully, Messi regains his match fitness to help the team at the best level in success during the playoffs.
Impact on Inter Miami’s Playoff Push
Knowing that Messi might come back to the team pretty soon, Inter Miami’s chance at the playoffs is very much boosted. The form during the season was pretty good but with Messi back in the mix, they can now match any other team’s strong players since they will have that ace player leading the charge through the playoff rounds.
Much has been said regarding Messi’s influence on the pitch, and, with the experience, he will be there to help Inter Miami in sticky situations. Having him be able to prepare for the playoffs, the team will have an opportunity to advance even further and lock up winning the MLS championship.
Conclusion
This may be the moment of hope that Inter Miami really needs not just for Lionel Messi but for the whole team and its supporters. Though the date is not sure, Tata Martino informed that Messi is to play in the regular season.
As Inter Miami charges into meaningful playoff contention, the star player will no doubt prove a crucial point of performance. With the final week of the regular season inching closer and closer, it shall certainly be on everybody’s eyes: Messi’s updates and whether he can lead his team in meaningful play.
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