Inter Miami CF faces Orlando City SC this Wednesday, May 15 (7:30 pm TV: Apple TV) at the Inter & Co Stadium, in the Florida derby, which is already on its way to being a classic.
For this meeting in Orlando, the participation of the “magnificent four” of the Rosanegro club is in doubt. Leo Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez will be evaluated ahead of the match against the Lions.
Meanwhile, nothing has been said about Jordi Alba after missing Saturday’s game, although he was seen training normally.
Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales confirmed that Messi felt “a small bump” on his knee since Saturday.
“We will evaluate Lionel Messi’s situation to know if he will play,” said Morales.
Leo suffered a hard foul in the game in Canada that left him in pain on the ground and the referee didn’t even show the yellow card.
Although Leo is expected to play, there were not many clues to form the lineup after seeing that most of the starters from the match against Montreal did not participate in the first 15 minutes open to the press of training this Tuesday.
They were then seen practicing, according to photos published by the club itself.
The good news was seeing Fede Redondo discharged and training at a good pace, after not playing the last few games due to a knee injury.
For the Miami team, the game in Orlando, beyond the rivalry, is of utmost importance, as it is not only fighting to stay at the top of the East but to accumulate as many points as possible, anticipating that on June 20 As of June 14, they will not be able to count on Messi and some other footballers who will be playing in the 2024 Copa América.
Last Saturday, Inter Miami managed to come back and win the match 3-2 in Montreal, where the team was harmed by the new MLS rules, although without any consequences.
Rather, it benefited him by discovering the enormous potential of Matías Rojas in free kick shots, when he scored a bomb from more than 30 meters that slipped through the corner.
Morales referred to the new MLS rules and asked for better interpretation and greater flexibility.
In the game in Canada Messi had to wait two minutes out after being treated on the field and the team played one minute with 10 players after the departure of Suárez, who slightly exceeded the 10 seconds scheduled to leave the field.
“The rules cannot be black or white, there has to be an interpretation,” Morales declared.
“Leo had to leave due to a crash, we were losing 2-0 and we are not going to make time. In Luis’ case, it took only 16 seconds to get out.”
The rivalry returns to the foreground in this clash between Miami and Orlando as both clubs fight to have the honor of being the team of the Sunshine State, as Lions coach Oscar Pareja pointed out.
“It is a very representative match for both teams because they are the backyard rival,” said Pareja, who has not been able to beat his rival since Messi’s arrival. Both teams have met 14 times with 5 wins per side.
This season Inter Miami beat them 5-0 at Chase Stadium, with a double from Leo and Suárez and another goal from Robert Taylor on March 2.
So regardless of the previous results, and the position in the table, an interesting derby is expected whether Messi plays or not.
