Inter Miami is going to another war without Messi

As he had to do the same thing the previous Saturday, Inter Miami will go to war without its leader when he faces the challenge of Atlanta United today in the absence of Argentine Lionel Messi.

As expected (coach Martino himself I had let it be known in a recent interview with The Athletic), Messi did not make the trip with the team to take a necessary rest after taking part in 12 clashes in 48 days and having to ask for a replacement at the end of a match for the Albiceleste team.

It was then that the alarms went off, although fortunately medical tests did not detect any problems muscular. The coach of the 'Herons' He doesn't want to take risks with his star and, despite being forced to chain victories to reach the MLS playoffs, he has preferred to give the 36-year-old veteran a look.

Because what is coming is not little. The team will face seven matches in 21 days (six of the US championship plus the final of the US Open Cup), and is still six points from the cut that determines presence in the postseason.

Messi's presence has been an indisputable balm (11 wins and a draw with no shadow of failure), but there is still a long way to go to climb the required positions in the Eastern Conference table where until very recently Inter was last.

For now, the squad must subscribe again to the talent and efforts of its other elements, led by former Barcelona players Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba and the Ecuadorian Leonardo Campana, a key player in the success of a week ago in front of Sporting KC.

By the way, Atlanta United - the squad that Martino led to the MLS trophy in 2018 - was the second rival faced by Inter after the arrival of Messi, in a Leagues Cup duel that ended with 4x0 rout of the 'Herons', whom the Rosario player led with a double.