Lionel Messi has sustained an injury that will keep him off the field for some time.
Lionel Messi played a crucial role, scoring and assisting, in Inter Miami’s 3-1 triumph over Nashville but was later substituted due to an injury. This setback will sideline him for Miami’s upcoming Major League Soccer (MLS) fixture.
In the CONCACAF Champions Cup round-of-16 second-leg clash, Messi’s early efforts, including a successful pass to his ex-Barcelona teammate, Luis Suarez, for the match’s opening goal and scoring himself, helped Inter Miami secure a significant lead. However, during the match on Wednesday night, the soccer icon had to leave the pitch in the 50th minute after a leg issue emerged, prompting concern from Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
“He is overloaded in the right posterior,” Martino said through a translator, according to Al Jazeera.
“We tried to see if he could go further along [in the game], but it was bothering him so we preferred to have him get out of the game.”
Messi, who had sat out during Miami’s recent 3-2 defeat to Montreal — the only game he’s missed so far this season — was taken off the field as a preventative measure after reporting discomfort, Martino explained.
The team anticipates that Messi will be absent for their next MLS game against DC United, slated for Saturday.
Following Messi’s departure, Robert Taylor came on as his replacement, netting a goal that extended Inter Miami’s lead to 3-0. This victory propels Inter Miami into the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, holding a 5-3 lead on aggregate over Nashville.
