Lionel Messi was excluded from the quarterfinals of the Inter Miami league cup against Tigres Uanl on Wednesday, one day after coach Javier Mascherano revealed that the Argentina superstar was still in difficulty with an injury.
Messi, who has fought against a “minor” muscle injury since a group’s group match against Necaxa on August 2, returned to Miami’s programming on Saturday after an absence of two weeks, scoring a goal after having come as a substitute in a 3-1 victory against the Galaxy of Los Angeles.
However, the winner of the 38-year-old World Cup seemed to be in physical discomfort when he appeared in the second half, and he was not in the alignment announced before the shock of the Cross-Border Club competition for teams from the Major League for Football and the Liga MX in Mexico.
The absence of Messi is a blow for Miami’s hope to find the title of the Cup League which they won in 2023 in the first season of fairytale of the Argentine icon in Major League Soccer.
Mascherano predicted a rigid test against Tigers, the eight Mexican champions, describing them as “A team with a lot of offensive power.”
Miami’s match with Tigres was one of the four quarter -finals of the League Cup which takes place on Wednesday.
Toluca in Mexico faces the city of Orlando before the host of Los Angeles Galaxy Pachuca, while the Spenders of Seattle confront Puebla at home.
