Superstar Lionel Messi will return to Inter Miami before the start of the MLS playoffs, head coach Tata Martino revealed on Friday.
Messi, 37, has been away from the team since suffering an ankle injury while playing for Argentina against Colombia in the Copa America final on July 14.
Martino said he does not know when Messi will return, but assured that the Argentine will play at least one of the club’s nine remaining regular season games.
The regular season ends on October 19 with a game against the New England Revolution.
“I couldn’t give an approximate number of days until he’ll be back to training, but it’s not a situation that’s too far away,” Martino said, according to ESPN.
Lionel Messi, 37, is expected to play in one of Miami’s final nine regular-season games this fall.
Miami coach Tata Martino is in no rush to bring Messi back into the starting XI anytime soon
‘There’s a part of injuries that have to do with the physical and there’s a part of injuries that have to do with the mental, so we have to overcome it both ways and I think he’s going through that process.
‘He is feeling better and better. He has been working in the field for three or four days. We cannot give a time frame because we do not know and it would be speculating on something that may not be possible, but he is close.’
Inter Miami (16-4-5, 53 points) has a five-point lead over FC Cincinnati in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, despite Messi not playing since June 1.
Messi and company lead the Eastern Conference standings with a five-point advantage over Cincinnati
In 12 regular season games (11 starts), he has 12 goals and 13 assists.
Inter Miami will face FC Cincinnati at home on Saturday and can secure a spot in the postseason.
Messi’s ‘dream’ return was originally set for August 31, as revealed earlier this week, but that now appears to be in doubt following Martino’s comments.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was expected to return to the field for Inter Miami’s away game against the Chicago Fire.
