Inter Miami's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Saturday night took an unexpected turn when Lionel Messi was subbed off early due to an injury. The incident occurred in the opening minutes of the match at Chase Stadium, leaving fans concerned about the severity of the injury and its potential impact on Inter Miami's campaign.
Just eight minutes into the game, Messi appeared to get tripped while dribbling towards the penalty area, colliding with Necaxa defender Alexis Pena. He fell to the ground, visibly frustrated, and after attempting to continue playing, he sat down near the Inter Miami bench. The team's medical staff attended to him, focusing on his right upper thigh area, with initial assessments suggesting a possible hamstring issue. In the 11th minute, coach Javier Mascherano decided to substitute Messi, replacing him with Federico Redondo. Messi then walked to the locker room for further evaluation.
The extent of Messi's injury is still unclear, with Inter Miami yet to release an official statement. However, reports indicate that the team will conduct further examinations to determine the seriousness of the injury. Some reports suggest that Messi could be sidelined for around three to four weeks if it is indeed a hamstring injury. Mascherano noted that Messi "felt something" and that they won't know the severity until Sunday.
Despite Messi's early exit, Inter Miami managed to secure a victory, albeit after a hard-fought battle. Telasco Segovia scored shortly after Messi's substitution, assisted by Rodrigo De Paul, giving Miami a 1-0 lead. However, Maximiliano Falcon's red card in the 17th minute shifted the momentum, and Necaxa capitalized, with Tomás Badaloni equalizing in the 33rd minute. Ricardo Monreal then put Necaxa ahead in the 81st minute. With time running out, Jordi Alba scored a late equalizer in stoppage time, assisted by Rodrigo De Paul, sending the match to a penalty shootout. Inter Miami prevailed 5-4 in the shootout, with Luis Suárez scoring the decisive penalty.
The win was crucial for Inter Miami's Leagues Cup aspirations. According to the tournament rules, the winning team in a penalty shootout gets two points, while the loser gets one. Inter Miami's next game is August 6 against Pumas at Chase Stadium.
Messi's injury history includes adductor and thigh strain issues, which caused him to miss Argentina's World Cup qualifiers in March. He also sat out Inter Miami's recent match against FC Cincinnati due to a suspension.
The team has other players like Segovia and Tadeo Allende who can support Luis Suarez in attack.
