Inter Miami are very lucky to have Lionel Messi, one of the world’s best players ever. Arriving for free last summer, the MLS side have already won their first trophy in the Leagues Cup and have been very great under the Argentine maestro.
But we have all seen that in the absence of Messi, they crumble with no one else to rely on. It is clear that Messi is very crucial to the team now, and they can’t afford to lose him. But it seems that the new season will be very difficult with the 36-year-old expected to miss many games for them.
Which matches will Lionel Messi miss for Inter Miami?
Lionel Messi will be in action for Inter Miami next year with the MLS regular season starting on February 21. It will be against Real Salt Lake, though we can see Messi play earlier with many friendly matches already planned, including a reunion with eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Inter Miami are set to have Messi unavailable for a long period of time, which can seriously hinder their season. Messi is sure to participate in the upcoming Copa America tournament in the summer as he is their captain and star player as well. However, the MLS season won’t stop even though the tournament will be held in the USA.
Inter Miami will have to play seven games without their captain. The first two are due to the international break in March, when Miami will have games against DC United and NY Red Bulls.
During the Copa America tournament in June and July, five matches will take place. They will be against Philadelphia, Columbus, Nashville, Charlotte and Cincinnati. These are all crucial games, and it will be very hard for Inter Miami without their star talisman.
Inter Miami set for double blow with Luis Suarez also joining Messi for Copa America
But the sad news doesn’t stop there for Inter Miami. While the David Beckham-owned club recently announced the signing of Luis Suarez, it seems that even the former Barcelona striker will miss the same dates for Miami as Lionel Messi.
This is because the striker is also expected to be on international duty for Uruguay, who are also competing in the Copa America tournament. While there is no certainty that he will be chosen for the international games, it could be a possibility as he was involved in the last games for Uruguay.
With both these stars potentially being absent for a lot of games, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino will have to come up with a solution. The club won’t be able to make any signings, and it seems Martino will have to prepare the team without them already.
Both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are enjoying their vacation now, with a game against Al Hilal on January 30 being their next fixture.
