Inter Miami’s playoff qualification hopes hang in the balance. Things have gone south for the Miami club since Lionel Messi‘s muscle injury which has seen him left out of the squad. Miami lost the US Open Cup final without their talisman, succumbing 2-1 to Houston Dynamo this week. Now, in a recent conversation, one pundit seems to think that Inter Miami’s aim of qualification for the playoffs without Messi is falling apart.

Messi picked up what was earlier reported by the Inter Miami camp as “muscle fatigue”. He was also brought off in the 37th minute against Toronto earlier this month and his absence has severely impacted the MLS club. On CBS Sports Golazo, Nico Cantor has had his say on the matter.

Inter Miami’s playoff hopes hang in the balance with Lionel Messi unfit

Messi has been struggling for fitness ever since the international break earlier this month. This was after scoring Argentina’s winning goal in La Albiceleste’s 1-0 against Ecuador. Since then Messi has struggled for minutes, which has in turn, impacted Inter Miami’s results.

Now, speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, pundit Nico Cantor has spoken about the situation. On the podcast, Cantor said, “I would imagine it’s more than a muscle strain, it’s probably not much worse but enough that he’s not 100% and that he can’t play. I thought it was very telling that he wasn’t even on the team sheet yesterday.” “We have got to see day by day the recovery because now the next objective is making playoffs and there’s going to be certain teams that they might not be able to beat without Messi.”

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While suggesting that Houston Dynamo outplayed Inter Miami in the US Open Cup final, Cantor said, “Houston put on a display. They played them off the pitch, and it shouldn’t have been 2-1. It should have been a little bit more in favor of Houston.”

Furthermore, Cantor said that Miami will have to take Messi’s fitness assessment game by game, stating,“They’re going to have to see. Maybe it’s a matter of maybe we can get to playoffs without him for these next couple games. Honestly I don’t know, it seems like it’s a day by day from what we’re understanding from what they’re telling us from within the club. So it will be a matter of game by game but hopefully we see him back on the field as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Messi and his family have finally found a home to live in, after finding it difficult to narrow down on a house earlier in August.

Also read: “Too Risky” – Injured Lionel Messi’s Recovery Update Might Quash Inter Miami’s MLS Playoff Hopes as Tata Martino is Unsure

Messi buys lavish house in Fort Lauderdale with famous neighbors

Messi finally bought a home for his family in Fort Lauderdale earlier this month. The mansion is located in the Broward County area which is 45 kilometers from Miami. Messi’s sprawling waterfront mansion reportedly cost around $11 million, with the design specifications as mentioned in the tweet below.

Apart from this, Messi neighbors include the likes of Tom Cruise, golf legend Tiger Woods and former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen. Nevertheless, it’s certainly a race to get fit again for Messi, and it’s also certain that Inter Miami’s playoff hopes will hinge on whether he can get fit and feature for the MLS outfit in what remains of the season.

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