Yesterday, against CF Montreal, Inter Miami fielded a considerably different starting XI from the one against Nashville. For starters, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez were all substitutes. And by having their first loss of the season, the strategy did not seem to pay off. But perhaps the biggest talking point was the absence of Lionel Messi. The Argentine icon was not only missing from the starting 11 but was not even on the bench. What could have happened? Perhaps the latest reports might paint a clearer picture.

As per reports on X, Lionel Messi was absent, as the management seems to want him to return safely for next week’s CONCACAF encounter against Nashville. This means that the 36-year-old is still suffering from the tackle he received in the previous CONCACAF match. In the said match, Messi was attempting to pressure opposition player MacNaughton. However, in clearing the ball, MacNaughton hit Messi studs up, which even caused his ankle to twist! Fans were rightly concerned, as Messi was in quite pain.

However, he continued the match and even manager Tata Martino didn’t seem much worried about the injury. Martino had said, “Leo Messi finished the game well, he had fatigue in the later ones but everything is fine.” Hence, fans were expecting to watch the soccer icon in action. But, it wasn’t meant to be.

Also, Inter Miami badly missed the service of star striker Luis Suarez as well. It was Suarez who scored the 95th-minute equalizer against Nashville previously. Hence, the absence of Uruguay and Lionel Messi has left fans puzzled. But the strategy to rest the key players was previously detailed by assistant coach Javier Morales.

What Javier Morales had said regarding Lionel Messi

Unlike Tata Martino, Morales was not that sure of Lionel Messi featuring in the match. Ahead of the match, he said, “Lionel Messi’s participation in the Montreal match has not been confirmed. We will have a conversation with him to find out how he feels and whether he is ready to play.” Moreover, he had also detailed the club’s strategy regarding rotation.

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Morales explained, “Luis Suarez, Messi, and all the players who were playing a lot of minutes, we will start rotating them so they can continue playing.” Hence, this could possibly explain why Suarez and Busquets were not in the starting XI. However, in this particular instance, it did end up costing the Herons.

Was Lionel Messi’s absence the reason for Inter Miami’s loss? Tell us in the comments below.

“Forfeit Any Future Games Messi Is Injured For” – Inter Miami Suffers First Season Defeat Without Lionel Messi; Fans React