Miami, February 15, 2023 – Inter Miami coach, Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, ruled out this Wednesday that Lionel Messi has suffered a serious injury in this preseason and confirmed that the Argentine star will start in Thursday’s friendly against Newell’s Old Boys.
Messi recovers from inflammation in the abductor
«Leo had an inflammation in the abductor in the first game with the Arab team. He did not have an injury that warranted stopping him or any special treatment. “We went day by day,” Martino explained in a press conference.
«That’s why he played ten minutes in the second game, that’s why he couldn’t play in Hong Kong, that’s why he played a little more time in Japan. Tomorrow he will surely add minutes and if everything continues like this he will arrive very well at the beginning of the championship, which is what we want,” he added.
Martino: «The tour was uncomfortable, but we drew valuable conclusions»
After a long preseason tour with many setbacks and injuries, Inter Miami, which next Wednesday will open the new MLS season against Real Salt Lake, will close its preseason this Thursday with a friendly against Newell’s Old Boys at the DRV PNK Stadium starting at 7:30 p.m. (00:30 GMT on Friday).
This match will be particularly special for Martino, an icon of Newell’s Old Boys as a coach and as a player, and for Messi, who played for that Rosario team as a child before moving to Barcelona.
In addition, Inter Miami will play its first match at the DRV PNK Stadium with Luis Suárez at the point of attack after a preseason in which the team in pink has traveled around the world.
Martino acknowledged that it was “an uncomfortable tour” due to the kilometers traveled, the transfers and the schedule changes, but he assured that they have drawn “valuable conclusions” and that, back home, they have been able to train “quite normally.”
Busquets will not play due to injury
Regarding Messi’s initial participation, the coach explained that Sergio Busquets will not play in this last friendly after having suffered an injury in the Japan match.
«If the start of the league were tomorrow, I could play. But he’s not going to play. We will protect it and get it ready for next Wednesday’s game,” he clarified.
Martino: «It will be a very nice night»
Finally, Martino spoke of the “very special bond” that unites him with Newell’s and assured that it will be “a very nice night” for him and for everyone who comes to the stadium.
«It is a nice possibility that Newell’s could be here enjoying this match with so many important figures. I know that it is also a delicate moment because their league is going on (…), but as far as possible they can enjoy the game,” he stated.
#Martino #rules #injury #Messi #confirms #start #Newells
