"We're pretty sure he'll play" - Houston Dynamo coach believes Lionel Messi will feature in cup final despite concerns
Houston Dynamo manager Ben Olsen has commented on Lionel Messi's possible involvement in the US Open Cup final today (Wednesday, September 27). The tactician expects the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to be on the field for Inter Miami when the two sides clash at the DRV PNK Stadium.
Recall that Lionel Messi has been battling fitness issues for the last couple of weeks. The Argentine icon hasn't featured in any games since limping off in the 37th minute during the 4-0 victory over Toronto in the MLS last week on Thursday. This forced him to miss the 1-1 draw with Orlando City, putting his participation in today's game in doubt.
According to multiple sources, the Argentine icon hasn't returned to his full fitness level. In fact, he was reported to have missed training with the group yesterday.
However, speaking ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, Dynamo boss Ben Olsen has stated that he expects to see the Inter Miami forward in action at the DRV PNK Stadium.
"We're pretty sure he'll play," the tactician was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. "We'll prepare for them in that way. They've got some options if that isn't the case. But we'll prepare for their best lineup unless we hear something more concrete."
Olsen also commented on whether he has plans to stop Lionel Messi if they eventually meet in the US Open Cup final. The Dynamo manager confessed that he has no magic formula for containing the Argentine maestro but will give it a try.
"There's been thousands of coaches that have tried to stop him and thousands of coaches have failed constantly, so I don't have the magic bullet to stop Messi," he said.
"No one has proven that they do have that. But of course, we're all trying to do the same thing: limit his space and condense the areas. There's all these little tricks that you can do to try to limit him.
"But they've also put together a very good supporting cast around him so now you dial in too much there and there's a lot of other guys that can hurt you," he added.
Inter Miami must be careful with Lionel Messi in US Open Cup final versus Houston Dynamo
Fielding an already injured player puts him at more risk of worsening the situation. Inter Miami manager Tata Martino will need to be very careful with how he utilizes Lionel Messi against Houston Dynamo.
It'd be wise not to field the Argentine maestro from the start and subject his involvement to how things unfold. If there's a need, he could be introduced from the bench as an impact sub later in the second half.
The whole team must also step up and get the job done, especially the attack and the defense, which are likely to be decisive. It remains to be seen what will be the outcome of the encounter.