Inter Miami have been without Lionel Messi for 12 games due to a mix of the Copa America and an injury suffered in the final of the competition.
Although the Herons have missed the Argentine to an extent, Tata Martino’s side have been nothing short of brilliant in MLS even without Messi to call upon, with the Florida franchise winning seven of their last eight league games.
With Inter Miami now qualified for the play-offs, the pressure is off for the Herons to bring Messi back into the fold as quickly as possible, with the goal now to build the attacker up to match fitness ahead of the post-season.
And Inter Miami have today been handed a huge boost in regards to Messi’s fitness.
Messi back in full Inter Miami training at last
As per Jose Armando, Messi is back in full Inter Miami training after working in the gym for the past month, with the Argentine international inching closer to his long-awaited return to MLS action.
Armando posted from Inter Miami training: “Lionel Messi is back! For the first time since the Copa America final, the world champion can be seen doing work on the pitch.”
Indeed, Messi’s return will be viewed as a massive boost for Inter Miami heading into the final eight regular season games of the MLS campaign, where the Supporters’ Shield is on the line.
And with a slew of games coming up after the international break, Messi could be raring to go once MLS action returns in mid-September, with the attacker now finally back out on the pitch.
Inter Miami might be unstoppable in MLS for the rest of the year
Having played just 12 games all season, it’s safe to say that Messi will be disappointed with how much soccer he has missed this year due to injuries and international fixtures.
Yet with the forward now back, Inter Miami could become unstoppable in their quest to win the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup with Messi returning to the pitch at long last.
Messi is happiest when on the pitch playing with the ball at his feet, and the Argentine will want to make up for lost time with the attacker out for over two months for Inter Miami.