It’s a blow for Inter Miami as Lionel Messi had to depart their Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Saturday. In the 11th minute, the Argentine went down with what seemed like a hamstring injury and was replaced by Federico Redondo. With 18 goals and 7 assists for Miami in league play, Messi is the front runner for league MVP, and missing any time would be a major blow for the Herons.
The match finished level at 2-2 with Jorda Alba scoring a late equalizer, sending the match to penalty kicks where the Herons prevailed. They were able to go ahead in the match following his substitution via Telasco Segovia, who said after the game that Messi told him he was fine but that they are waiting to see what the medical staff say.
Messi missing any time will be a true test for manager Javier Mascherano, who said the player “felt something” after the game, adding that they won’t know the severity until Sunday. The Herons did strengthen the squad this summer, adding Rodrigo De Paul from Atletico Madrid, but he’s someone who will improve the defensive structure more than he’ll create goals.
The Herons have been reliant on their Argentine No. 10, and he pushed them to the last 16 of the Club World Cup, taking down Porto in the process. With Segovia and Tadeo Allende, there are other players who can step up to assist Luis Suarez in the attack, but Mascherano will need to determine the best setup if their star misses any time.
Messi had been regularly resting during his time at Inter Miami so as not to overdo it. He did not play in their 0-0 draw with FC Cincinnati before the Leagues Cup, serving a one-game suspension for missing the MLS All-Star Game.
Next up for Miami will be their final group stage match of the Leagues Cup, hosting Pumas at Chase Stadium on Aug. 6. With only the top four MLS teams advancing to the knockouts, this will fill like a must-win where players will have to step up if Messi does miss any time.