Lionel Messi was instrumental in Inter Miami’s early ascent to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Then he sustained injuries. Due to a right hamstring injury, Messi has missed the last two games. Coach Tata Martino announced on Friday that Messi will not participate when Inter Miami visits the New York Red Bulls on Saturday afternoon due to the likelihood of severe rain in Harrison, New Jersey. Miami (3-1-1, 10 points) scored eight goals, with three goals from Messi, in between shutout victories over Real Salt Lake and Orlando City and a 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He did not play in the 3-1 victory against D.C. United last week or the 5-0 loss to Montreal on March 10.
“There was no reason to not be confident how he was going to perform here because two months prior, he had been performing really well,” Martino stated on Suarez. “What’s important here is the confidence it generates for the team and the players.” With seven points and a 2-1-1 record, New York is trying to get back from its worst start of the season. The Red Bulls suffered a 3-0 setback in Columbus last week after winning 2-1 games in a row against Houston and Dallas. It took the Red Bulls two shots on goal before they managed to get their first one on target in the forty-second minute.
The most crucial thing right now for us is recovering and how we recover,” said Emil Forsberg of New York. We’ve been progressing incredibly well. Our opponent was a superior squad. It’s a difficult outcome since we took some risks that we wouldn’t typically take. We were entitled to a defeat. It’s not a pleasant sensation. The Red Bulls are hoping that Lewis Morgan, who had hip surgery and had to miss the entire 2023 season, can help them win, but they will be without six players, including Forsberg, because of international service. Six Inter Miami players won’t be available for international play.
