By Miguel Rapetti
Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino spoke this Saturday after his team’s 1-1 draw against New York City FC about the health of his star Lionel Messi, who is injured in his hamstring.
In a press conference with the media, Martino said that it will be this Tuesday when Messi’s possible participation will be defined in Inter Miami’s next match against Rayados de Monterrey for the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League, which will be played this Wednesday at Chase Stadium in Florida.
“Leo and Nico Freire would tell you that now they are going day by day, depending on what happens in these three or four days we will define whether they are there or not. Wednesday’s game is a game against a very important team, but we have to think about the entire year,” said the Argentine strategist during the conference.
“And if we understand that the players will take a risk, they will not play. On Tuesday we will define,” he added.
Tata left Chase Stadium satisfied with his team’s result despite not getting the three points.
“For me today what the team did was very commendable, it created many goal situations, I think the New York City goalkeeper was the figure of the game,” he said.
Inter Miami did not go beyond 1-1 at home against New York City in the third game of their season without Leo Messi.
Suárez put Martino’s team ahead after a quarter of an hour with a header, but Costa Rican Alonso Martínez equalized in the 34th minute.
Marcelo Weigandt, recently signed from Boca Júniors, made his debut in an unprecedented lineup by Martino with the Spanish Sergio Busquets as center back.
“We had high expectations for him (Weygandt) and I think he delivered in the best way. It seems to me that his performance was very meritorious,” he said.
“Busi plays with the category, in some moments in Barcelona, I don’t remember that he started, but in moments of the game he went to play as a right center back. He did very well,” he concluded.
Keep reading:
- The photo of Neymar with David Beckham that fuels rumors about the return of the MSB in Miami
- Inter Miami “finishes” the tickets for the match against Rayados de Monterrey for Concachampions
- AFA confirmed injury to the hamstring of Messi’s right leg and disaffected him from the national team