FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami return to action on the road against the New England Revolution on Wednesday, July 9. And some rest or limited minutes could be on the agenda for Messi, the Argentine World Cup champion.
Inter Miami will play its second match, following the FIFA Club World Cup, in a stretch of seven game they will play in the month of July.
Coach Javier Mascherano is managing a roster with four of his former Barcelona teammates in Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, while several youngsters who played heavy minutes earlier this season are working their way back from injury.
A rotation, of sorts, could be on the horizon for Messi and some Inter Miami players. But Mascherano also doesn’t want to disrupt their continuity as they push to make up ground in the MLS Eastern Conference standings.
Messi is coming off one of his best games of the season, where he scored two goals with an assist in a 4-1 win against CF Montreal last Saturday, July 5.
Messi’s status for the New England match will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before kickoff at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“In Leo’s case, if Leo is fine and doesn’t have any problems, obviously my idea is always to let him play, because we know that if there’s anyone who knows how to manage himself on the pitch and knows his body, it’s him,” Mascherano said before Inter Miami’s practice on Tuesday, July 8.
“So, we’ll see, we’ll take it as it comes. I don’t want to say one thing and then do another. It’s more a day-to-day thing, depending on how we feel. We can’t make too many rotations, but we’ll make the ones we can because we’re going to need everyone.”
Inter Miami midfielders Yannick Bright and David Ruiz practiced with the club Tuesday, but were held out of the Club World Cup due to muscle injuries. Standout defender Noah Allen is also sidelined with a hamstring injury he suffered during the Club World Cup round-of-16 loss to PSG
Only four MLS clubs will be in regular-season action playing a mid-week match Wednesday: Along with New England and Inter Miami, LAFC will host the Colorado Rapids. So, it’s an ideal match for Inter Miami to pursue three points in the standings, while eight MLS clubs participate in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals this week.
Inter Miami has 32 points from 17 matches (nine wins, three losses, five draws), while most MLS clubs have already played 20 or 21 matches this season.
“Well, obviously we’re not just thinking about [Wednesday’s] game, but also about the string of games we have coming up. We have three more games in practically ten days, so we’ll see how best to manage everyone’s minutes,” Mascherano said.
“I always say the same thing, and you know me: We’re going to put out the best possible 11. But clearly, my idea isn’t to make a lot of rotations, because I think that doing so disrupts the team too much. In the end, many of the guys, even if you don’t change too much within a team, aren’t used to playing together, so it’s like throwing a problem at the players. So, there will be a few changes to freshen things up, but we’ll try to keep the core of the team the same.”
How to watch Messi play in New England vs. Inter Miami match?
The New England vs. Inter Miami match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, and will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Messi, Inter Miami upcoming schedule in July
July 9:New England vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET
July 12: Inter Miami vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m. ET
July 16: FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET
July 19: New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET
July 26: Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati, 7 p.m. ET
July 30: Inter Miami vs. Atlas, 7:30 p.m. ET (Leagues Cup)