Lionel Messi will return this weekend after a months-long injury absence as he was named in Inter Miami’s squad for their match against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
Messi suffered a hamstring injury against Nashville SC on March 13 in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match, leaving after 50 minutes.
The Argentinian missed three league games while sidelined (Miami won 1-1-1) and also sat out Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final defeat to Monterrey.
While Messi is back, seven players have been ruled out of the Colorado match, including winger Robert Taylor.
Including the 2-1 defeat to Monterrey earlier this week, the Herons have failed to win their last three games in all competitions.
Inter Miami posted this image on social media to announce that Lionel Messi was in the squad
On Wednesday, Messi reportedly clashed with Monterrey coach Fernando Ortiz following Inter Miami’s 2-1 defeat to the Mexican side.
Ortiz suggested before the game that Miami would receive favorable calls because of Messi.
And after the match – in which Miami saw six players booked and one sent off – Messi “angry” approached the Monterrey locker room and started shouting, according to ESPN.