Messi magic needed for Inter Miami as injuries pile up

MIAMI - Inter Miami will have to rely heavily on Lionel Messis firepower as they prepare for Saturdays Club World Cup opener against Al-Ahly, with coach Javier Mascherano forced to re-shuffle his backline due to a string of injuries.

Fullback Jordi Alba, fellow defender Gonzalo Lujan and defensive midfielder Yannick Bright have all been ruled out of the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium.

They are not available for this game, hopefully they will be for the second game, Mascherano told a press conference on Friday.

Alba, one of Messis former Barcelona teammates, is sidelined with a hamstring issue.

There were also concerns regarding the fitness of centre back David Martinez.

David had some kind of pain yesterday and we did not want to take any risks, said Mascherano.

The reality is that throughout the season, the team have dealt with injuries, but the players who stepped in rose to the challenge. That gives us peace of mind, he said.

Miami have conceded 16 goals in their last six competitive games.

Much of Miamis chances rest on Messis shoulders.

He’s in good shape this season. There were moments when we had to give him some time to rest, but he’s played the last 15 games, except for the match against Dallas when we rested the entire squad, said Mascherano.

We were also fortunate he was able to rest during Argentina’s last two games, he added referring to Messi playing 111 minutes in Argentinas World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia earlier this month.

It’s our responsibility to create the right environment for him to shine.

Miami will also take on Porto and Palmeiras in the 32-club competition. REUTERS

Join STs Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.