Lionel Messi was rested for Argentina’s friendly against Venezuela, a 1-0 win, at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday, keeping alive the possibility he could feature for Inter Miami against Atlanta United on Saturday. Earlier in the day, head coach Javier Mascherano said Messi’s availability would depend on whether he played against Venezuela, noting that Argentina would make the final decision.
Getty Images SportAll eyes on Lionel Messi
With Messi being rested, he could return to Inter Miami and be available for Saturday’s MLS clash with Atlanta United at Chase Stadium before rejoining Argentina for their next match against Puerto Rico early next week – which was moved to the Herons' home stadium.
“If he doesn’t play tonight, there’s a possibility, I’d love to have Leo with us,” Mascherano said. “But the truth is, he hasn’t been with the team this week. Rodrigo [De Paul] and Telasco [Segovia] are also away. The only player who’s available after international duty is Fafà [Picault], since Haiti released him. The rest remain with their national teams.”
AdvertisementAFP"Messi can play at any time, obviously"
Although Mascherano would love to have his full squad ahead of Saturday's match, he also emphasized that Inter Miami respects national team commitments.
“When players go with their national teams, we don’t interfere or make calls to bring them back. For now, everything remains the same,” he said.
When asked if Messi could still play despite not having trained with the group, Mascherano mentioned the eight-time Ballon d'Or is always welcome.
“Messi can play at any time, obviously. The thing is, I can’t talk about something hypothetical because he’s not here, and I haven’t spoken with him. We’ll see what happens tonight," he said.
AFP'We haven’t decided the lineup yet'
Scaloni left the door open on the possibility of Messi rejoining the MLS side to participate in Saturday's match.
“I’ll speak with him this afternoon, and then we’ll see," Scaloni said. "There’s not much more to say. It just so happens we’re playing here, and the second game – against Puerto Rico – might also be in Miami, but we’ll confirm that later. Everything is still up in the air.”
Getty Images SportBig matches ahead
While Miami have missed out on a chance to win the Supporters' Shield, the fourth-placed side in the Eastern Conference could still finish as high as second if they win out their remaining two regular season games and results go in their favor. They face Atlanta on Saturday and wrap up their season with Decision Day on Oct. 18.