In a recent turn of events, Lionel Messi’s health has become a topic of concern for both Inter Miami fans and football enthusiasts worldwide. The Argentine forward’s availability for upcoming matches is now under scrutiny due to a combination of factors, raising questions about his fitness.

Injury or Fatigue?

It could be because of both things. Messi left the game early when Inter Miami won 4-0 against Toronto FC on Wednesday night.

Inter Miami’s coach, Tata Martino, says that Messi and another former FC Barcelona player, Jordi Alba, are uncertain about their health status. This is because the team is playing six matches in 18 days, and they will decide day by day if Messi and Alba can play or not.

Inter Miami’s next game is away from home, and they will play against Orlando City on Sunday.

The game is crucial for Inter Miami’s chances to reach the MLS playoffs. However, the team is also concentrating on another competition, the U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo on September 27, which they hope to win.

Lionel Messi’s Availability for the Orlando City Match on September 24: Find Out Here

Apologies, Orlando City fans, and fans from everywhere who are watching Messi.

Martino said Messi and Alba won’t be in the game against Orlando City on Sunday. You can watch the game live on Apple TV.

The Latest Updates on Lionel Messi’s Injury Status, Direct from Inter Miami’s Coach

Martino explained that Messi has an old injury bothering him, and he’s also facing a tough schedule of playing 12 matches in just 48 days at the start of his time with Inter Miami.

Martino said that Messi is bothered by an old injury scar.

Messi also had a check-up when he was with the Argentine national team for two World Cup qualification games earlier this month. Martino mentioned that the results of those examinations confirmed that Messi doesn’t have a muscle injury.

“Messi had a previous injury that had been causing him trouble. The scans he had with the national team didn’t reveal any new injuries. We decided to be cautious and kept him out,” Martino explained after Wednesday’s match.

“We don’t believe he has a muscle injury. I just spoke with him about it. However, we still need to be cautious. We’ll keep an eye on it in the coming days,” Martino said.

Lionel Messi Showed Signs of Fatigue Before Leaving the Game Against Toronto

During the 34th minute of the game against Toronto, Messi either felt tired or experienced some discomfort before he left the field.

Messi was hunched over in the middle of the field. He seemed to be stretching his right leg and taking care of his calf muscle.

This happened after he tried hard to run from the middle of the field towards the goal area. But a defender stopped him, making him move to the side away from the net.

Just two minutes later, Messi was giving up the captain’s armband and going to the bench.

A Closer Look at Lionel Messi’s Return: How Did He Appear?

During the 37 minutes he played against Toronto, Messi didn’t manage to score a goal or set up one for his teammates. However, he did make several attempts to score during his time on the field.

Messi had a great chance to score when he hit the ball with his right foot after a pass from Facundo Farías, but the shot went too high. Messi’s run towards the goal during this attempt was impressive and almost resulted in a fantastic goal in the 23rd minute.

Before that, Messi had some room to shoot with his left foot toward the goal, but the Toronto FC goalkeeper managed to catch the ball in the 18th minute.

In a different moment, Messi was surrounded by Toronto players, and when he tried to shoot, the ball hit one of them, stopping the attack.

The Number of Games Lionel Messi Has Missed: A Breakdown

Messi came back to play in the Toronto game after not playing in the two previous matches. He had a break of 13 days during this time.

After coming back from the Argentine National Team, Messi didn’t go with Inter Miami for their game against Atlanta United on September 16, which they lost 5-2.

Messi also didn’t play in the second of the two games with Argentina, which they won 3-0 against Bolivia, because he needed some rest.

-Rahul Gautam