Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino said that his team will wait until the “last minute” to find out whether Argentine star Lionel Messi is ready to compete in the America’s Cup final, on Wednesday, against the Houston Dynamo.
Messi was substituted in Inter’s professional league match against Toronto before the break due to an unspecified injury, and he missed last Sunday’s match against rival Orlando City.
There are doubts about the Argentina captain’s participation in the America’s Cup final, as his team seeks to win its second title after winning the American-Mexican League Cup title last month.
Martino said in a press conference on Tuesday: “We will wait for Leo until tomorrow. Until the last minute. I will sit with him to evaluate his condition. Maybe we will reach an agreement tomorrow.”
He continued: “There are three parties here: the player, the final, and what comes after that. We have to try to make the decision. There are always risks. But we have to reduce them.”
Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 12 matches with Inter Miami since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in July.
Inter Miami did not lose any match with Messi on the field, and Martino said he would not have risked sending the 36-year-old player if the match was not the cup final.
The Argentine coach said: “It is 90 or 120 minutes that stand between you and the title. It is logical. If it were any other type of match, we would not take any risks.”
2023-09-27 04:03:40
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