Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano spoke to the media and shared an update on Messi’s availability for Thursday’s match against Cavalier FC.
Inter Miami are set to take on Cavalier FC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. The match kicks off on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, with Inter Miami leading 2-0 on aggregate after winning the first leg comfortably last week. However, the big question on everyone’s mind is if Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will feature against Cavalier FC.
Notably, Messi has missed Inter Miami’s last three games due to early-season fatigue, as the club carefully manages his workload to prevent injury. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner sat out Inter’s 4-1 MLS win over Houston Dynamo on March 2 and also their 2-0 victory against Cavalier in the first leg of the Round of 16.
The fans in Jamaica received exciting news on Wednesday as Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed that Lionel Messi will travel to Jamaica for Thursday’s match against Cavalier FC. Before flying out with the team, Mascherano spoke to the media and shared an update on Messi’s availability.
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“Leo Messi is on the roster and will travel with the team to Jamaica. Tomorrow (Thursday) we will decide for the game what is best, if he starts or waits on the bench and comes in later,” he said.
“Today he trained with the team, and the sensations were good. We’re happy he’ll travel with us to Jamaica,” he added.
The match is being considered so important in Jamaica that it was moved from Cavalier’s small 3,000-seat stadium to Jamaica’s 30,000-seat National Stadium. This will be the biggest game in the club’s history and the most high-profile match at the venue since Brazilian legend Pelé played there with Santos in 1971 in front of a sellout crowd.
Additionally, Messi will be joining the Argentina squad for their crucial World Cup qualifiers later this month. Argentina will be facing Uruguay on March 21 and Brazil on March 25.
