Lionel Messi Rested for Inter Miami’s MLS Clash Against Houston.
Inter Miami’s star player, Lionel Messi, will not feature in the team’s Major League Soccer fixture against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday.
The club decided to rest him in an effort to manage his workload. A club spokesman informed AFP that Messi did not travel to Houston on Saturday, clarifying that he was not dealing with an injury but was being given a break.
The match was chosen by the league for its newly introduced standalone broadcast, “Sunday Night Soccer,” on Apple TV. Major League Soccer aims to leverage this initiative to enhance fan engagement and boost interest in the competition.
Inter Miami’s season commenced with a demanding schedule, featuring their MLS opener wedged between two legs of the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Messi had played in all those encounters, but with this match marking what would have been his fourth appearance in 12 days, the club opted to give the 37-year-old a rest.
Read Also: Man Utd Head Coach Urges Tuchel to Include Maguire in England Squad
Miami will return to CONCACAF competition on Thursday, hosting Jamaican club Cavalier for the first leg of their two-legged tie. Messi is expected to be part of the lineup for that fixture.
The club faces an intense start to the season, with their first eight matches scheduled within a span of just 26 days.
Despite Messi’s absence, the team carried on with preparations, including a training session on Friday. Among those present was 38-year-old Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who made the trip to Houston with the squad.
Lionel Messi Rested for Inter Miami’s MLS Clash Against Houston.
