It was a disappointing match for Tata Martino as his side drew to 14th-placed New York City. Inter Miami just couldn’t find the finishing touch and a big reason for that was the absence of Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar last played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Nashville and was supposed to return against Monterrey on April 4th. However, a new update by Martino confirms that the playmaker’s return could be later than expected despite being fully rested!

In a recent presser, Martino issued an update on Lionel Messi’s availability. He said (translated via Google), “Depending on what happens in these next three or four days, we will decide whether Messi will play against Monterrey. Wednesday’s match is an important match, but we have to think about the entire season. We will evaluate it tomorrow and Monday and on Tuesday we will decide” It seems Martino is keeping the cards close to his chest regarding Messi’s participation against Monterrey.

Lionel Messi notably suffered an injury in the second leg of the Champions Cup encounter on 13th March. Then, Martino said, “He is overloaded on the right posterior [leg]. We don’t want to run a risk.” Initially, the diagnosis was that the injury was not very serious and the star was even spotted in training. But, then why did the upper management opt to rest their star player in the clash? There are two compelling reasons for this.

The potential reasons why Lionel Messi was rested against New York City

At 36, Lionel Messi is no spring chicken and is well past his physical peak. Notably, the soccer star has suffered his fair share of injuries since moving to the MLS. He has already missed 4 games last season due to a muscle injury while suffering physical issues in pre-season. Hence, it seems the Herons don’t want to rush their playmaker and are intent on allowing time for a full recovery.

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Moreover, the tie against Monterrey is more crucial as it is a knockout encounter. Considering that this is Inter Miami’s first-ever participation in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, it is understandable why Tata Martino wanted the genius of Lionel Messi for this crunch encounter. However, the plan didn’t go entirely according to plan as nobody predicted that the Herons would drop points to New York City, who has already lost 4 games this season.

Is Lionel Messi Injured? Why Isn’t He Playing for Inter Miami vs New York City Despite Training

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