Inter Miami continued their impressive start to the new season with a CONCACAF Champions League RO16 win against Nashville. Thanks to a sublime performance from Lionel Messi, the Herons recorded a 3-1 win on the night to progress 5-3 on aggregate. Yet, a cloud of concern seems to be looming over the Argentine as he was unexpectedly subbed off in the 50th minute, raising questions about a possible injury.

After setting up an opener for Luis Suarez in just 7 minutes, La Pulga took charge and doubled his side’s lead in the 23rd minute. However, 5 minutes into the second half, Tata Martino had to sub him off. Speaking after the match the manager revealed the reason behind why the former Barcelona star was taken off minutes into the second half.

Speaking after the game, Martino said, “He is overloaded on the right posterior [leg]. We don’t want to run a risk. We tried to see if he could go for a little longer, but it was bothering him, so we preferred to have him get out of the game.” Robert Taylor was sent on for Messi as Inter Miami eventually saw off Nashville’s challenge. Martino also provided an update on whether Messi will feature in Inter Miami’s next game against DC United.

He said, “I would imagine for Saturday’s match he will not be available. Looking ahead, we’ll evaluate. He’ll get some imaging done. And we’ll see how it develops.”

It could be possible that his previous knock in the opening RO16 game must have relapsed. He endured a studs-up tackle from Nashville’s Lukas MacNaughton. Although Martino had dismissed any severe injury worries shortly after the match, Lionel Messi eventually missed the previous MLS matchup against Montreal, where the club suffered its first defeat of the season.

His injury could also be bad news for Argentina as they line up for two international friendlies next week ahead of summer’s Copa America. Inter Miami have started the new season well and sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with seven points from four games. With Messi likely to miss the next league match, they would hope his absence won’t have the same adverse effect as last season.

Messi was sidelined last fall due to a scar tissue flare-up and missed four games. The Herons went winless in the six matches that followed across all competitions.

With Messi being the key to Inter Miami’s hopes this season, they may look to manage his game time and ensure his availability for the longer stretch this season.

Inter Miami might fancy giving Lionel Messi less game time

Even though Lionel Messi continues to impress at the age of 36, it’s essential to remember that age might be catching up with him. With advancing age, playing back-to-back games would become increasingly challenging for him. The demanding MLS schedule, along with other competitions like the CONCACAF Champions League and the Leagues Cup, make participating in all of them exhausting.

Therefore, Miami can consider managing its #10’s playing time accordingly. This approach not only alleviates pressure and fatigue on Messi but also allows Martino and the team to utilize the World Cup winner effectively.

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