Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate set to miss MLS playoff clash against Atlanta – Report
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, Yannick Bright, will miss the final game of Round 1 in the best-of-three playoff series against Atlanta United. Bright appeared in Miami’s first two playoff games, playing 90 minutes in the first leg and 45 minutes in the second.
The final game between Inter Miami and Atlanta United will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
According to Goal, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino said Bright will not feature against Atlanta United on Saturday due to injury. If they get past Rob Valentino’s men in tomorrow’s clash, Bright could return for the semifinals.
"(Yannick), I understand that if we advance he is available," Martino said. "(Busquets) depends on other issues because it is not a muscular issue that can be predicted regarding the amount of time."
Messi's side were dragged to the third game after Atlanta United won 2-1 at home in the second leg to put the tie on a 3-3 aggregate. Inter Miami won the first leg 2-1 on their home ground.
This will be a massive blow for Lionel Messi’s side, as they will also be without Sergio Busquets for the game. Due to illness, the Spanish defensive midfielder was ruled out of the reverse fixture at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Inter Miami’s coach echoes Lionel Messi’s sentiments about the team committing silly mistakes
Tata Martino agreed with Lionel Messi’s remarks that Inter Miami has committed some mistakes throughout the season. In an interview with Fabrizio Romano, Messi said that the team had committed a lot of silly mistakes.
Ahead of the game against Atlanta United, Martino buttressed Messi’s sentiments.
"It is true that we have had some mistakes that almost permanently have cost us goals," Martino said on Friday (h/t ESPN). "There are times that teams make mistakes that go unnoticed because they do not end up inside the goal. And we have had some mistakes that put us in a difficult situation, and better yet within the same game. But it is also true that we have had a team that has overcome these types of situations and that throughout the year we have solved it in the best way."
Inter Miami ended the 2024 MLS season with a historic record as they won the Supporters’ Shield with the most points ever recorded in a single season (74).