Lionel Messi is set to miss an Inter Miami game for the first time since arriving in the States after appearing to confirm he has not travelled to Atlanta this weekend.
Messi, who has scored 11 goals in as many games for Miami over the past two months, was left out of Argentina’s team to face Bolivia on Tuesday with a mystery fitness problem.
Just a few days after he was seen leaving a medical center in his home country, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni revealed the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner ‘did not feel comfortable’ to play in their World Cup qualifier, sparking fears that he could be unavailable upon his return to Miami this week.
And despite training with the team on Friday, later that evening Messi shared a clip of himself on Instagram opening a pizza box from Banchero Miami – an Argentine pizza restaurant located on the city’s famous beach – all but confirming he will miss Inter’s latest MLS fixture away to Atlanta United.
Earlier in the day, Inter’s official Instagram account had uploaded photos of the likes of Sergio Busquets, Josef Martinez, Leonardo Campana and DeAndre Yedlin boarding the plane to Atlanta.
Lionel Messi is set to miss an Inter Miami game for the first time since arriving in the States
Messi shared an Instagram story which appears to show he has stayed in Miami this weekend
He had raised hopes of being fit in time for the game after training with Inter on Friday
Tata Martino therefore looks likely to be without his star man when Inter resumes its league campaign on Saturday night.
Messi was substituted off late on into Argentina’s 1-0 win over Ecuador last Thursday after scoring the only goal of the game.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said after the game that he had ‘felt something’ – while the match-winner himself said he was just ‘a little bit tired.’
However, he didn’t even make the bench for the second round of World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
After returning to the States this week Messi raised hope that he would be fit in time to face Atlanta when he was seen training alongside his teammates on Friday.
However, with the US Open Cup final to come in just under two weeks’ time Martino may well be preserving his captain’s fitness in preparation.
The 36-year-old was understood to have taken precautionary tests at a medical center in Argentina earlier this month, though the problem he is suffering from remains unclear.
Inter will be crossing their fingers and toes for Messi to be fit and firing by the time the US Open Cup final comes around.
Inter shared photos of the likes of Leonardo Campana travelling to Atlanta on Friday
Messi was left out of Argentina’s squad to face Bolivia in its World Cup qualifier Tuesday
He has made a blistering start to his Miami career since arriving from PSG in the summer, averaging a goal per game while inspiring the team to Leagues Cup glory and a place in the US Open Cup showpiece.
While two of his 11 appearances have come from the bench, Messi has not yet missed a match for his new club heading into this weekend’s outing at Atlanta.
It remains to be seen whether he is fit in time for Inter’s next MLS fixture against Toronto at DRV PNK Stadium next Wednesday.