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Lionel Messi could feature when Inter Miami travel to face Atlanta United in the MLS on Saturday (16 September). The superstar forward will return to club action following the international break.
Messi played just one out of the two FIFA World Cup Qualifiers game for Argentina whilst on international duty. A slight niggle saw him miss their second game against Bolivia. Despite his absence, Inter Miami did record a 3-2 win over Sporting Kansas City on September 10.
The knock he picked on international duty and the sheer number of games coming up has thrown question marks over Messi's selection against Atlanta United. Club manager Tata Martino stated that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is fit but did not provide much information on the amount of game time he will get on Saturday.
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Martino was quoted as saying the following (via ESPN):
"He is fine. But we will wait until after training today to make a decision. We will be careful with him because we have a lot of important games in a short span."
If Lionel Messi is fit, he will walk into Inter Miami's starting XI for their game against Atlanta United. The former Barcelona superstar could be partnered alongside the likes of Leonardo Campana, Josef Martinez, or Robert Taylor.
Campana, who recently penned a new four-year contract, scored a brace against Sporting Kansas City last time around.
It is, however, worth mentioning that there is a possibility of Messi's fitness not being risked and the forward starting the game on the bench. The Argentina captain has a great track record of coming off the bench and scoring for his new team.
He made his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul in the 2023 Leagues Cup by coming off the bench and netting a free-kick winner. Lionel Messi also scored after coming in as a second-half substitute in his MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls in a 2-0 victory.
Inter Miami and Lionel Messi faced Atlanta United last month
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami had played Atlanta United previously in the group stages on their way towards winning the 2023 Leagues Cup.
The game was Messi's first start as a new Herons player and his second game for his new side. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker had a great outing against Atlanta United and scored a brace and an assist during a 4-0 victory.
Lionel Messi played 78 minutes on that occasion, and had three shots on target, apart from hitting the woodwork once. He completely bossed the game with a pass completion rate of 80 percent and made five key passes to add to that. The World Cup-winning star did not lose possession once on that occasion.
Lionel Messi has made an incredible start to his Inter Miami career. As things stand, he has contributed 11 goals and five assists from 11 games across all competitions so far.
