- Lionel Messi has enjoyed a triumphant whirlwind start to life with Inter Miami
- The 36-year-old scored 10 goals in seven games during the Leagues Cup run
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino told reporters that Lionel Messi will play in the US Open Cup match against Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Fresh from their victory in the Leagues Cup Saturday, Inter Miami – and Messi – will return to action in the US Open semifinal against FC Cincinnati.
Martino told reporters that Messi will be available to play in the clash against the Eastern Conference leaders but admitted he will have to rest the World Cup winner at some point after his whirlwind start in Miami.
‘We said that at some point he had to rest because of the load of minutes played,’ Martino said before practice on Monday.
‘Kinaw, Wednesday is not that day. If he doesn’t tell me he wants to rest, he’ll keep playing.’
Messi has been in incredible form since debuting in Miami and has already scored 10 goals in just seven games.
His goal output became one of the main reasons Miami made a surprising run to the final.
“We don’t think we will be competitive in this tournament because our team is still being built,” Martino said.
‘But, well, we ended up competing and winning and that makes us very happy and hopeful for the future.’
But, while Messi looks like a lock-in for Wednesday’s starting XI, he and his 36-year-old legs have more to come.
The Herons will also try to resurrect a season that landed Miami at the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings with the team returning to league action against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
Miami’s record currently sits at a pathetic 5-3-14 for just 18 points in the league.
It appears Messi has well and truly embraced his new life in Miami, sharing a touching moment with one of his teammates after the Leagues Cup win.
The cameras caught the moment Messi humbly handed DeAndre Yedlin the captain’s armband and instructed him to raise the trophy.
Yedlin wore the armband for Miami before Messi made his blockbuster move earlier this summer.
But Martino admits it is not the first time Messi has made a touching gesture with his new team-mates.
‘This is not the first time he has made this kind of move,’ said Martino. ‘This is why when people say he is the best player in the world, it is not only because of what he does on the pitch during a match.
‘The same thing happens in training, with him and also with Jordi Alba; they bring the young players together to define the work and the goals. That really helped the team prepare faster.’