Inter Miami‘s head coach Tata Martino has acknowledged that Lionel Messi is dealing with fatigue following a busy start to the 2024 campaign, reported by GOAL. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner picked up a knock during pre-season, causing him to miss a friendly match in Hong Kong. Since the commencement of the 2024 season, Messi has played in four competitive fixtures within a span of just 16 days.
Despite his impactful performance, registering his fourth goal of the season in a 2-2 draw against Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Messi exhibited signs of tiredness in the latter stages of the game. However, Martino reassured fans that Messi is in good condition, stating, “Leo finished the game well, tired, with fatigue in the later stages, something logical, but he's fine.”
Messi's contributions have played a pivotal role in Inter Miami's unbeaten start to both domestic and continental campaigns. Martino, while acknowledging the team's positive results, believes there is room for improvement. He emphasized the team's resilience, stating, “When it seemed hopeless, the team doesn’t let down, keeps looking for the goal, and we got the prize, which was deserved because we did enough not to lose.”
Tata Martino also pointed out areas for improvement, mentioning, “We put the game at risk in the early stages of the first half and the second half. There were 10 or 15 minutes in each half that could have cost us the game.” Despite trailing by two goals in the second period, Inter Miami staged a comeback through Messi and Luis Suarez.
Looking ahead, Inter Miami faces an upcoming MLS clash with Montreal, followed by the second leg of the thrilling Champions Cup tie against Nashville next Wednesday. With Lionel Messi's fatigue in mind, Martino hinted at potential rotation to manage the star player's workload effectively.
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