Inter Miami’s head coach, Tata Martino, recently provided an update on Messi’s fitness, confirming that the 37-year-old Argentine star has been training normally in recent days. However, he remains cautious and has not yet allowed Messi to return to play.
“Messi has recovered physically and is getting fitter. However, the doctors have not yet given him clearance to return to play this weekend. We will assess the situation and evaluate all possibilities to determine if he will travel to Chicago,” coach Tata Martino stated in a press conference on August 31st.
Messi has fully recovered from his injury and returned to normal training.
This weekend, Inter Miami has an away match against Chicago Fire FC at 7:30 PM on September 1st in the MLS. According to coach Tata Martino: “This is an injury that Messi needed more than six weeks to recover from, so he needs to be fully healed, calm, and safe before we make the final decision about his return to play.”
“Messi began training a few weeks ago, initially with the medical team and fitness coaches, and then gradually participated in some parts of the training sessions with the entire team. We are still evaluating his progress,” coach Tata Martino explained, emphasizing that the long-awaited return of Inter Miami’s captain is drawing closer.
Coach Tata Martino also mentioned that if Messi does not participate in the match against Chicago Fire FC, he is almost certain to feature in the next match against Philadelphia Union at 6:30 PM on September 15th at home.
“Our goal is to win the Supporters’ Shield (the title awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in MLS). If we think we can relax just because we’ve qualified for the playoffs, that would be a huge mistake. Such thinking could lead us into the playoffs in poor form,” coach Tata Martino shared.
Messi’s timely return boosts Inter Miami’s hopes of winning both the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup.
Inter Miami is currently leading the Eastern Conference standings in the MLS with 56 points and has secured a spot in the playoffs for the MLS Cup at the end of October. They are now aiming to top the Eastern Conference standings and win the Supporters’ Shield with eight matches remaining.
“In MLS, you don’t have many easy matches. Chicago Fire FC defeated us 4-1 last season, and they are still fighting for a playoff spot. We also have many goals to strive for – not just titles, but achieving our objectives,” coach Tata Martino emphasized, noting the importance of beating Chicago Fire FC to “avenge” last season’s loss and maintain their current form ahead of the MLS Cup playoffs and Messi’s return.
