Inter Miami will be without Lionel Messi for at least their next two matches after the soccer superstar suffered

an ankle injury in the Copa America final on Sunday while playing with the Argentina national team.
The MLS club announced Tuesday that Messi had suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle and his “availability
will be determined by periodic assessments and the progress of his recovery.”

Head coach Tata Martino told reporters earlier in the day that Messi, 37,

would miss Inter Miami’s match against Toronto FC on Wednesday and their showdown with the Chicago Fire on Sunday.

Martino indicated that Messi had “twisted” the ankle and that an injury “is present,” the Associated Press reported.
The Inter Miami coach did not want to speculate about the severity of the injury.
“There will be tests done to determine the severity of the situation,” Martino said. “We are always informed through our kinesiologist Walter Insaurralde, who is also the kinesiologist of the national team.
He said he is very cautious at giving a final diagnosis before results are in.

Messi, widely referred to as “The GOAT” of the sport, suffered the ankle injury in the 64th minute of Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia when he appeared to plant his foot awkwardly and tumbled to the ground.
He remained down on the pitch for several minutes before limping to the bench, angrily throwing one of his shoes and then burying his face in his hands as he cried.
Messi looked as though he had escaped injury earlier in the game when he went down chasing a ball and ended up holding his right ankle after a strong challenge from Colombia’s Santiago Arias.

The 37-year-old, who made the move to MLS last summer, issued his first statement on the matter in a post on Instagram on Monday.
In the post, he thanked fans who reached out to wish him well, before offering an optimistic update on his injury.
“I’m fine, thank God, and I hope I can soon be on the field again enjoying what I like to do most,” Messi wrote.

Messi did not make the trip to Buenos Aires with the rest of the Argentine team to celebrate the Copa America title.
Inter Miami’s next two games are MLS regular season contests before MLS pauses the season for the All-Star Game next Wednesday and then the Leagues Cup, which includes all LIGA MX and MLS clubs.
Inter Miami is the defending Leagues Cup champion, and the tournament is viewed as an important event for MLS and its broadcast partner Apple.

Messi helped drive viewership numbers during last year’s tournament, World Soccer Talk reported.
The regular season will resume for Miami on Aug. 24.
Martino refused to comment on how Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni used Messi during Copa America, according to the Miami Herald.
“We were not there in the day-to-day, and it would be out of place for me to talk about that,” Martino said.
News
Princess Diana’s Namesake Award Celebrated at Anniversary with New Song and Music Video at Althorp
“Make Your Own Kind of Music — Live at Althorp” will be released later this week Diana, Princess of Wales attending a Gala evening in aid of…
Christmas card signed by King Charles and Diana from the 80s is listed on eBay for £2,000
A Christmas card signed by King Charles III and Princess Diana is being sold on eBay – and it could be yours for £2,000. The listing for the ‘rare’ royal find, from 1985,…
Cruz Beckham, 19, and his glam singer girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29, look just like a young Posh and Becks as they cosy up for steamy PDA snap
Cruz Beckham and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel channelled a young Posh and Becks in their latest PDA snap. Cruz, 19, and the singer, 29, looked just like…
Brooklyn Beckham shows off his impressive cookery skills as he whips up a mouth-watering lobster dish
Brooklyn Beckham showed off yet another impressive cooking tutorial as he took to his Instagram on Monday. The son of David and Victoria Beckham, 25, who has been slammed…
The truth behind Prince William using Diana’s engagement ring to propose to Kate – as Prince Harry says rumours he gave it to his brother are ‘absolutely rubbish’
After Princess Diana‘s tragic death in 1997, it was only natural for her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to choose a personal item of hers as a reminder of…
The day Diana’s birthday present to Charles backfired: As the king turns 76 we recall the princess’s famous dance with Wayne Sleep in 1985 (as documented in The Crown) that left her husband unimpressed…
Throughout Princess Diana‘s 15-year marriage to Prince Charles there were dozens of instances where their clashing personalities were displayed for all to see. But perhaps the most high-profile example was…
End of content
No more pages to load