According to multiple reports, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will not feature in Saturday’s away game against Atlanta United. espn Reported for the first time News. Here’s what you need to know:
The 36-year-old played 88 minutes in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador on September 7th. Although he traveled with the national team to the next game against Bolivia on Tuesday, he was not placed on the senior list. Competition. Miami coach Tata Martino said Friday that Messi is “fine” but that he will not make a decision on Messi’s availability until after training ends before the game in Atlanta. “We will be careful with him because we have a lot of important games in a short period of time,” Martino said. A league official said that Major League Soccer was “aware” of Messi’s absence on Saturday. Inter Miami is six points out of the Eastern Conference playoff spot with eight games remaining in the regular season.
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Martino said last month that the team would miss Messi for “at least” three games this season while he plays for the national team. He missed Miami’s game last weekend against Sporting KC, which they won 3-2.
The game in Atlanta is expected to draw up to 72,000 fans.
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium is one of six Major League Soccer stadiums with artificial turf, adding to the uncertainty over Messi’s status. A number of aging stars who came to MLS from Europe over the years have avoided playing games on the league’s artificial surfaces.
In August, Messi said there would be no problem playing on grass in the new league.
“The truth is that I spent my youth on artificial turf and my whole life on this pitch,” Messi said. “The truth is that it has been a long time since I last played on artificial turf, but I have no problem getting used to it again.”
Martino – who coached Atlanta between 2016 and 2018 – said this week he had no concerns about his team playing on the surface. “My experiences on the pitch in Atlanta have always been positive,” he said. The athlete Tuesday.
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2023-09-16 18:49:22
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