 y la gente está esperando, está en nosotros demostrarlo”.){kind=link}
Lionel Messi returned to training with Inter Miami on Tuesday, but the Argentine star is still doubtful for the match against Monterrey in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, said Argentine coach Gerardo Martino.
The 36-year-old forward has not played since March 13, when he suffered a muscle overload in his right leg in the second leg match against Nashville SC in the regional tournament.
Inter Miami will host Rayados on Wednesday night in the first leg of one of the quarterfinal series of this competition that rewards its winner with a ticket to play in the Club World Cup next year.
"We will decide tomorrow, not today," Martino said in a press conference about Messi’s condition. "Leo trained, but we still have 24 hours."
“Tata” Martino added that, although he wishes to have Messi in a key match, he will not risk him if he is not fully recovered.
"While tomorrow’s game is important, it’s only April for us, this is just beginning and we cannot risk the conditions of our player," the Argentine coach stated. "We will determine what’s best for Leo, we will try to make the right decisions."
Due to the injury, Messi missed the two matches that the Argentine national team played in the United States at the end of March, as well as three other MLS matches.
The presence of the "Pulga" is essential for Inter Miami’s ambitions. The Herons have lost two out of three games without Messi on the field and remain unbeaten in the five games he has played, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
In addition to Messi, Inter Miami has injured players Benjamin Cremaschi, Federico Redondo, Facundo Farías, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Ian Frey, Robbie Robinson, and Nicolás Freire.
Martino said that only Freire – an Argentine center-back who joined from Mexican club Pumas prior to the current season – and Messi could play against Monterrey.
"We have to face the game without any excuses and even with the difficulties we are having, we must compete and compete well," Martino emphasized. "We want to compete even with the absences, and when we have everyone, we will be stronger."
Monterrey, the team with the highest payroll in the Liga MX, faces the series after losing their unbeaten record last weekend and currently sits in second place in the Clausura.
"I have the same nerves as when you play an important game, that’s what the situation of playing against a tough rival like Monterrey generates," said Luis Suárez, the Uruguayan forward in his first season with Inter Miami. "It excites us because the club has never won (the CONCACAF) and the fans are waiting for it, it’s up to us to show it."
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