Inter Miami vs Columbus: Will Lionel Messi play for Inter in Leagues Cup Match?

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Inter Miami is set to take on fellow MLS club Columbus Crew in a Leagues Cup match on Tuesday (August 13).

The Leagues Cup is a tournament which involves MLS and Liga MX clubs and Inter lifted the inaugural tournament last season, amid the vibrant presence of their star Lionel Messi.

Miami, this season, has progressed to the Round of 16 after finishing 2nd in their group and will now face Columbus in a Round of 16 match. They have played without Lionel Messi so far, and ahead of the match against Columbus, their manager Gerardo Martino gave his latest update on the Argentina talisman.

Will Lionel Messi play against Columbus Crew?

Lionel Messi played a moderate part in Argentina's Copa America 2024 victory earlier. The Argentina captain got injured int he final of the tournament against Colombia and since hasn't played a single match.

He suffered an ankle injury and ahead of the match in the Leagues Cup, Miami coach Gerardo Martino has confirmed that Messi remains sidelined. The 37-year-old hasn't recovered fully and may take at least three weeks to return to action.

Despite Messi's absence, Miami have done superbly in the MLS and other competitions. They are currently on top of the Eastern Conference and are now in the knockouts of the Leagues Cup. Out of the last 10 matches, the club has lost only two, one of which came in the Leagues Cup competition group stages against Mexican club Tigres.

Although Messi remains out of action, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, Spain legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are set to feature in the match. Alba is in red-hot form as the Spanish left-back registered four assists in the most recent match in a 4-3 win over Toronto FC.