Argentina continued their dominance on Sunday, winning their second consecutive Copa America title, beating Colombia in extra time. That was without talisman Lionel Messi for part of the second half as the Inter Miami star exited in tears in the 64th minute with an ankle injury.
On Tuesday, Herons boss Tata Martino gave a crucial update on Messi and said he'll likely miss two games at the very least:
“He twisted his ankle, and the injury is present, so tests are needed and wait for results,” Martino said. “I've had the opportunity to see other images. There will be tests done to determine the severity of the situation. We are always informed through our kinesiologist Walter Insaurralde, who is also the kinesiologist of the national team. He is very cautious at giving a final diagnosis before results are in.”
The 37-year-old posted on Instagram on Monday and seemed to be in good spirits. He sounded optimistic about returning to the pitch soon.
Argentina flew through Copa America en route to the title, winning all six of their games. La Albiceleste only conceded once in the process while bagging nine goals. Lionel Messi scored once and provided an assist in five appearances in the tournament. Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez was the star of the show in the competition, netting five. He scored the winner in the showpiece against Colombia, too.
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami thriving
While losing Messi for the time being hurts, Inter Miami have been flourishing this term. Martino's men are in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-4-5 record, sitting just one point behind FC Cincinnati in top spot.
Messi is making it look easy in his first full MLS season, hitting the back of the net 12 times while supplying nine assists as well. Former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez is also performing at a high level in the final third, scoring 12 of his own and setting up another five.
As Martino pointed out, more imaging of Messi's ankle will happen on Wednesday. After that, Inter Miami will have a better idea of how long their main man will be sidelined. When he was on the bench following the injury on Sunday evening, Messi's ankle was visibly swollen.
The Herons are coming off a terrible 6-1 defeat to Cincy on July 6th and will be looking to bounce back on Wednesday against Toronto FC. While Messi won't suit up, Suarez is expected to lead the line. He'll be relied upon the produce the goods on home soil.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
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