Will Lionel Messi feature for Inter Miami against Toronto? Tata Martino provides update
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino has implied that Lionel Messi will be assessed ahead of Inter Miami's MLS clash against Toronto on Thursday (September 21).
The Argentine superstar was put through a grueling schedule after his transfer to the American outfit. Since his debut on July 22, he has played in 11 games across competitions before the September international break, registering 11 goals and five assists.
For Argentina, Messi played 89 minutes in the 1-0 FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying win against Ecuador before being rested for the 3-0 win over Bolivia in La Paz despite traveling with the squad. Despite his return to Miami, he was left out of the squad in Vice City's 5-2 league loss at Atlanta United.
Messi and Jordi Alba, who also missed the game against Five Stripes, trained on Tuesday (September 19). Asked about their availability for the Toronto game, Martino said, via MLS' website:
"Every player on our roster wants to play every match. That is the mentality of our group. We have a lot of important matches in a short window of time, and one of my responsibilities as the coach is to care for my players and help them make the hard decisions that will give us the best chance of keeping everyone healthy during this busy run.
"Beginning on Wednesday, we have six matches in 18 days, which is one match every three days, including the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final."
Inter Miami have two MLS games to deal with before their maiden US Open Cup final, where they face Houston Dynamo on September 28.
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino clarified why Lionel Messi missed Inter Miami's loss at Atlanta United
Lionel Messi's absence against Atlanta United was a major talking point as Inter Miami's 12-game unbeaten run across competitions came to an end.
The Mercedes-Benz Arena uses an artificial turf, which is easy to maintain but is linked with an increased chance of sustaining injuries. Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, though, clarified that the 36-year-old superstar's absence had nothing to do with the turf.
Asked about the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's absence, the manager said (via the aforementioned source):
"Both (Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba) have muscular fatigue. There was a risk of having worse consequences if they were to play this game. It had nothing to do with the (artificial) turf."
To reach full match fitness, Lionel Messi stayed back in Miami and did not travel with the squad to Atlanta. His team are 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, with 28 points from 27 games.