Lionel Messi injury update: Javier Mascherano reveals whether Inter Miami star will be available for Pumas Leagues Cup clash KIK BALL

Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano has revealed Lionel Messi will miss Wednesday’s Leagues Cup clash against Pumas UNAM through injury.

The Herons suffered a major blow when Messi was forced off in the 11th minute of Saturday’s meeting with Necaxa in the Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami provided an update on Sunday to explain that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had sustained a ‘minor muscle’ problem.

The statement read: “Messi underwent medical tests to evaluate the extent of the muscle discomfort he experienced during last night’s Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, which forced him to leave the field.”

“The results confirmed a minor muscle injury in his right leg. His medical clearance will depend on his clinical progress and response to treatment.”

Mascherano delivers Messi injury update

Mascherano has now confirmed that Messi will be unavailable for Inter Miami’s final game of the league phase against Pumas at Chase Stadium.

“Clearly, for tomorrow’s game, he is not going to be there,” Mascherano told reporters in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.

“(He presented) a minor injury that, within the bad, is good news. We know the noise that is always around when he is absent because he is a rather special player, but we do not like to determine times; we will see how he progresses.”

Messi’s absence will leave a significant void in Mascherano’s side, especially as he has scored 24 goals and provided 10 assists in 31 competitive matches this season. 

What do Inter Miami need to do to reach Leagues Cup knockout stage?

After collecting five points from two matches, Inter Miami are currently sitting in third place in the MLS section of the Leagues Cup league phase.

They began the competition with a 2-1 victory over Atlas, before they played out a 2-2 draw in the recent meeting with Necaxa.

Inter Miami went on to beat Necaxa 5-4 on penalties to pick up a bonus point, which could be crucial in their bid to secure a top-four spot and qualification for the knockout stage. 

The Herons will be guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals if they take maximum points from Wednesday’s meeting with Pumas.

However, anything less than three points would leave Inter Miami at risk of dropping out of the top four, depending on results in the other games taking place on matchday three. 

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