Inter Miami CF continue to wait on Lionel Messi as they enter the final homestretch of the 2023 MLS season, repeating their customary “day-to-day” diagnosis for the superstar No. 10 ahead of Saturday night’s home showdown with FC Cincinnati (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
With just three games remaining, the Herons need to make up a five-point gap on the ninth-and-final Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot in the Eastern Conference. To make a daunting task all the more difficult, they’re facing a must-win scenario this weekend against the newly-crowned Supporters’ Shield champions.
Miami are also winless without Messi, going 0W-2L-2D in all competitions since the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner – along with fellow FC Barcelona legend Jordi Alba – made an early exit from their 4-0 rout of Toronto FC on Sept. 20. Neither Messi nor Alba have played since.
“Truthfully, it’s the same. We have to keep evaluating,” assistant Javier Morales, filling in for head coach Gerardo Martino, told reporters Friday. “The good news is he [Messi] trained yesterday, today he’s going to train again and we’ll likely make a decision after today’s training session.
“But he’s getting better every day.”
Messi, who has 11g/5a in all competitions for Miami, has been sidelined by muscle fatigue caused by scarring from a past injury since returning from international duty with Argentina last month.
Despite his current health issues, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion was called up again for the October international window by head coach Lionel Scaloni, along with Herons teammate Facundo Farías and Atlanta United playmaker Thiago Almada.
“They’ve been called up,” Morales answered when asked if Messi would possibly turn down La Albiceleste. “So it all indicates that he’ll travel [to Argentina].”
With Messi firmly in Argentina’s short-term plans, Miami’s social media channels further fueled the speculation surrounding his availability on Friday by publishing a picture of the superstar No. 10 with a simple, yet suggestive caption in Spanish: “See you tomorrow.”
Whoever ends up taking the DRV PNK Stadium pitch, the Herons are obligated to put in a better performance after Wednesday night’s 4-1 loss at Chicago Fire FC – a deflating outcome that also left them relying on outside results in order to make the playoffs.
“We don’t exclusively depend on ourselves,” Morales said. “But beyond that, it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop trying. We know we have to win the last three games. We know that the most important one is on Saturday, because it’s the next one.”
“We’ll have the same attitude as always, which is to try to get the three points, especially playing at home.”
Striker Nicolás Stefanelli is of the same mindset, convinced Miami still have everything to play for.
"We know there's still a chance and we're going to fight until the last moment," Stefanelli said. "... Tomorrow we're going to come out and try to dominate on the pitch."
