Lionel Messi Exits Inter Miami Match V Necaxa With Injury: ‘he Did Feel A Pull’

Lionel Messi exited Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup lucifer against Necaxa connected Saturday nighttime aft suffering an evident hamstring wounded successful nan opening minutes.

After nan lucifer that Inter Miami won successful a punishment shootout, coach Javier Mascherano indicated that Messi would acquisition testing connected Sunday to find nan severity of nan injury.

“He felt discomfort,” Mascherano said done an interpreter. “We will not beryllium capable to cognize until tomorrow really terrible nan wounded is. There’s astir apt thing there. He was not successful pain, but he did consciousness a pull.”

Messi was injured astir nan eighth infinitesimal erstwhile he fell while being challenged by a brace of defenders adjacent nan punishment area. He fell to nan crushed and slammed his fist successful vexation earlier stepping toward midfield arsenic play continued.

He walked slow toward nan Inter Miami chair earlier sitting down connected nan pitch. Trainers came retired and worked connected his correct precocious thigh area for a mates of minutes earlier he subbed retired for Federico Redondo successful nan 11th and instantly walked to nan locker room.

Messi has dealt pinch galore hamstring injuries passim his profession and has missed clip complete nan past mates of seasons dealing pinch various limb injuries — nan astir caller rumor was pinch his near adductor, which sidelined him for a brace of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers earlier this year.

The wounded puts his position for Inter Miami’s adjacent Leagues Cup lucifer successful jeopardy. The Herons return connected Pumas UNAM connected Wednesday.

Mascherano has been tasked pinch managing Messi’s packed workload each season.

The 38-year-old prima was experiencing fatigue precocious past period and skipped nan MLS All-Star game, which led to a one-match suspension by nan convention for violating its rules connected information successful nan accumulation match.

Messi was unavailable for Inter Miami’s lucifer against Cincinnati connected 26 July, which allowed him a spot of rest.

“He is personification who would alternatively play than rest,” Mascherano said connected Friday, adding that Messi would show nan squad if he is experiencing fatigue.

“Clearly, we talk astir nan business and we negociate it,” he said. “But it has to beryllium a speech pinch nan player. They cognize wherever they tin push their assemblage and up to which constituent they can’t. Leo is simply a typical case. . … Perhaps if you make him rest, he feels worse. If we spot a reddish emblem aliases a risk, we purpose to speak to nan players.”