Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during Argentina’s Copa America Final in July but appears to be trending toward playing in New York later this month when his side visits NYCFC.
Miami head coach Tata Martino said over the weekend that Messi has spent time training with the team and is on the cusp of returning to the field.
“We felt that for the time he could give us in this match, it might be better to consider the next 15 days,” Martino said. “Ultimately, we discussed it and concluded that this second option was better. So, we’re aiming to have him available for the match against Philadelphia [on Sept. 14].
That match is one week before Miami takes on NYCFC at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. It will be the first time Messi will play in the Bronx after making his MLS debut last August in Harrison, NJ against the Red Bulls.
Prior to his injury, Messi had naturally been Major League Soccer’s very best with 12 goals and nine assists in 12 matches in what is his first full season in the United States after making the jump from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
