Inter Miami vs NY Red Bulls: Will Lionel Messi Play in Today’s MLS Match? Javier Mascherano gives Update

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Inter Miami will face New York Red Bulls in an MLS match at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, USA on Saturday (May 1).

The Herons will enter this match after straight three-match losses, including the two legs of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals against Vancouver. However, the participation of Lionel Messi in this match is still a doubtful question among the fans.

In the first leg, Inter Miami suffered a 2-0 defeat to NY Red Bulls, with goals from Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter. Despite Messi playing the entire match, the team struggled to break through the ' defence. However, in the second leg of the quarter-finals, Lionel Messi scored a brace against LAFC to clinch the tie for Miami. The Herons defeated Los Angeles FC with an aggregate scoreline of 3-2.

Messi has been pivotal to Miami’s attack throughout their MLS campaign, but following a minor adductor strain during Argentina’s World Cup Qualifier campaign, his fitness was a concern for a few weeks. Despite this setback, the Argentine legend still tops the Herons’ scoring chart this season, netting eight goals in all competitions. Messi also played a crucial role in the Champions Cup semi-final against LAFC, where he scored a brace in a trailing situation and helped Miami to reach the semi-final.

Inter Miami vs NY Red Bulls: Is Messi Set to Play in Today’s Match Against NY Red Bulls?

Since the quarter-final against LAFC, it has been four matches Messi failed to score a goal. The Herons’ unbeaten streak in MLS also broke as in their last MLS match against Dallas, they lost the match 3-4 from a 3-1 lead. Though Messi was rested in that match along with the other key players. However, after a full 90-minute appearance in the recent CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal loss to Vancouver Whitecaps, Messi's involvement in tonight's game is under consideration. While there are no new injury concerns reported, head coach Javier Mascherano may opt for squad rotation to manage player fatigue.

Mascherano gives Lionel Messi Update

In a recent press conference, Javier Mascherano has consistently emphasized Messi's integral role in the team. He also acknowledged the dependency of his team on Messi. He said, “Teams have been dependent on Messi. Guardiola's Barcelona was dependent for years, Luis Enrique's Barcelona, Valverde's Barcelona and the Argentina national team for 15 or 20 years.” "In other words, when you have a player like Messi, you're clearly going to develop a dependency on him. It's impossible not to depend on him,” Mascherano added.

Despite acknowledging the team's reliance on Messi's quality and impact, Mascherano has also expressed a desire to manage his workload effectively and limited capability to help the Argentine legend. He stated, “It's clear that there are days when the team perhaps helps him more and other days when it helps him less.”

This match against NY Red Bulls will be a chance for Miami to end their three-match losing streak. But the participation of Lionel Messi will still be a doubt. Therefore, fans can anticipate Lionel Messi taking the field against NY Red Bulls but he may not be in the starting lineup.