Inter Miami assistant coach provides Lionel Messi fitness update ahead of MLS clash against St. Louis
Javi Morales has revealed that Lionel Messi will play against St Louis City. The assistant manager added that the Argentine is in good physical condition after missing two of the last four matches.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Morales confirmed that Messi will be in the Inter Miami squad to face St Louis City on Saturday, June 1. He said:
"Lionel Messi is in good physical condition. He will play tomorrow."
Messi will be heading for Copa America preparations after the match on Saturday, and the Argentine will not be available for a month. The Argentine getting rested in the win over the Vancouver Whitecaps sparked speculation among the fans that he was trying to save energy for the upcoming tournament.
However, Tata Martino was quick to dismiss the claims and said:
"No, I will not speculate if Messi is saving himself for Copa America because [that question has] no validity."
When asked about the injury update on the Argentine, the Inter Miami coach added:
"Leo had some discomfort, but he trained every day. Having three games in a week, with him still in some pain, we felt it was prudent for him to sit out this game. The plan is for him to play Saturday, but we will take it day by day. He trained again (Wednesday) and felt good, but we will not take any risk. We will see how he feels on Thursday and Friday."
Lionel Messi played the full match against Atlanta United on Thursday. He scored a goal for Inter Miami, but they ended up losing 3-1 at home.
Inter Miami without Lionel Messi for five matches
Tata Martino has already confirmed that Inter Miami will be without Lionel Messi for five matches. The Argentine is set to lead Argentine in the Copa America and will be unavailable after the clash against St Louis City.
He said via GOAL:
"If these players find themselves in form, with confidence, secure, and understand the challenges of the five games after St. Louis, it's clear that we'll be able to survive Copa America."
Apart from Messi, Luis Suarez will be another top star who will be missing for Inter Miami in the next few games. The striker has also been called up for Copa America by Uruguay.