A few days before the All-Star Game between MLS players and Liga MX stars, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano has stated that he would prefer that Lionel Messi not be part of the US league’s squad due to the large number of games he has played and has shown a stance that players should rest in the middle of the regular season.
Lionel Messi is not only the great figure of Miami, but of MLS itself. In addition to playing in the MLS regular season, he also participated in the Club World Cup and will soon face the commitments of the Leagues Cup, a tournament where teams from MLS and Liga MX participate. However, the Argentine star has not had much rest and is the chosen one for the All-Star Game on July 23 in Austin, Texas, and will also be in the “Skills Challenge” dynamic the day before.
Messi travels to Texas to participate in the All-Star Game
Javier Mascherano knows he can have an opinion on Lionel Messi’s participation in the All-Star Game, but he knows that in the end it will not be his decision. “The players are called up, I would like them to rest, but it is not my decision. I know how important the All-Star Game is, and as far as I know there is no decision from the club; everything continues as normal,” said Mascherano.
After the great activity they have had in the last two months, Inter Miami will face New York Red Bulls on Saturday night, their third game in seven days. The team is stepping up its involvement in the MLS regular season to make up for the postponed matches following their participation in the Club World Cup, where Inter Miami finished second in the group stage and qualified for the last 16, before losing to Paris Saint-Germain.
Injuries plague Inter Miami
Mascherano expressed concern about the number of matches after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari suffered a blow during the midweek match against FC Cincinnati that forced him to leave the field and was replaced by Rocco Rios Novo. “As for injuries, I’m not a specialist. I’m very worried because, in the end, the team has been all season with many muscle injuries. That is the main detail with the huge amount of games we have assigned,” said Mascherano.
The coach later said that Ustari suffered an injury, but does not yet know how long he will be out of action. “The intensity of the matches we have played, especially in the last month and a half, has been very high. But, well, we also have to look for an explanation, improve and try to avoid it, because, obviously, the team is deteriorating little by little with injuries.” Concluded the Argentine coach.
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