⚽️ Where In The World Is Lionel Messi?

_{LAST MATCH: Miami 1 - NYCFC 1}

_{NEXT MATCH: vs. Chicago Fire, Wednesday, October 4th, 8:30 PM EST}

_{WHERE TO WATCH: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV}

Good morning! Will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami again this season?

Yes! Sort of? Maybe, not! Actually, no. Uhh, ask Tata Martino again in three days.

Well, whenever the World Cup winner suits up in pink again, Miami may have to make their push for the playoff without him.

In the email today:

Inter Miami has been without Lionel Messi for about a month now.

After returning from international duty in early September with ‘muscle fatigue,’ the World Cup winner has yet to feature in a full-length match for the Herons since their 3-1 win over LAFC on September 3rd.

The club has been eerily quiet on details about the injury as well, with head coach Tata Martino skirting around questions surrounding the Argentine.

When asked about the injury after Miami’s thrilling 1-1 draw vs. NYCFC, Martino had this to say:

According to Argentine journalist, Gaston Edul, it appears that Messi could be back in time for Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati:

Translation:

“Leo Messi would not play against Chicago Fire. Next Saturday the 7th is the last match in the preview of the Argentine National Team matches (Inter Miami - Cincinnati). They aim for him to be able to add minutes in that game.”

Ultimately, the fans, media, and pundits aren’t completely sure just how injured Messi is. But, if he returns before the end of the MLS regular season, then that indicates that he just needed some time to recover.

• Messi hasn’t played a full 90 minutes for Miami since September 3rd.

• There are concerns that the injury could be worse than the team is letting on, but nothing concrete has been reported.

• There are just four regular season matches before the end of the season.

Our take: From speaking with Tata Martino, to talking with people who know the club, it does feel that Messi’s injury is a bit more severe than the team is letting on. But, at the same time, it seems probable that he’ll be back before the season ends. In any case, if Messi can play in at least one more regular season match to help Miami to the playoffs, then we’ll finally get an answer to, “just how injured is he, really.”

2) 🔢 Miami’s Math To The Playoffs

With their 1-1 draw against NYCFC Saturday, Miami kept themselves in playoff position.

Sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference, the Herons are four points out from ninth place and need to win their last four matches to sneak into the post-season.

• Though it will be difficult, Miami is four wins away from a spot in the playoffs.

• Without Messi, Miami’s attack looks lackluster, but, if they can grind out wins from this upcoming Wednesday on out, then their chance for the playoffs will rise.

• The team will be aware of what they have to do to reach the finish line.

Our take: Miami will want to make the playoffs. It will be challenging without Messi, but the achievement of making the post-season after their poor start to 2023 will be satisfying in the end.

3) 👶15-Year-Old Julian Hall Became The Second-Youngest Player In MLS History To Make His First Team Debut

4) 📊 Poll: Inter Miami Mischief?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

Results from our last poll, Are Season Ticket Renewals Too High?:

85% of you said YES.

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• 🇭🇷 According to several reports, Inter Miami is allegedly interested in bringing another Ballon d’Or winner to the club.

• 😲 North Korean players attack the referee following their 2-1 loss against Japan in the Asian Games quarter-finals.

• Toronto FC winger Lorenzo Insigne got into a heated…discussion with a couple of fans during their 3-2 loss against FC Cincinnati.

The newsletter today was written by: Alex Windley @aaw_1998

Thanks for reading! Catch you on the flip side!