Javier Mascherano refused to divulge whether Lionel Messi would start Inter Miami’s clash with LAFC tonight, despite the Argentina star making a goalscoring return at the weekend.
Messi missed the recent internationals against Uruguay and Brazil due to an adductor strain but looked sharp after coming off the bench at the weekend, netting within two minutes as Miami saw off Philadelphia Union 2-1.
Next up is the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final against LAFC at BMO Stadium.
Putting in the work in LA 👊 pic.twitter.com/ytpmF1abrW
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) April 2, 2025
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Mascherano waiting on Messi
Miami boss Mascherano said Messi had suffered no ill effects from his cameo on Saturday but would not commit to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner starting in Los Angeles.
He said: “I expect that Leo will be fit for tomorrow and he can play but at the end you will know at the beginning of the game.
“The most important thing is that he finished the match against Philadelphia well. The reality is that we returned to training yesterday. We gave them a rest on Sunday, so today we’ll see how they feel.”
Semi-final would be a ‘big step’ for Miami
It is Miami’s second successive run to the last eight of North America’s premier competition – no mean feat for a club that only joined MLS in 2020.
“I don’t know if it’s the biggest [game so far in our season] or not because in the end one, for me all the matches are important and I say the same thing: the most important is the next one,” Mascherano added.
“We don’t look beyond the next match but it’s clear that we know we are in an important point of the competition. If we manage to reach this stage we would be among the four best of CONCACAF. For a club like Inter Miami that has had little time of existence, I think it would be a big step.”
