Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake LIVE: Lionel Messi ready to return to action as MLS season gets underway – kick-off time, team news and how to follow
The new MLS season of gets underway later this week, with Lionel Messi set to take centre-stage in Inter Miami's clash with Real Salt Lake.
Pre-season for Messi and co has been marred by controversy after the Argentine missed a one-off game in Hong Kong due to injury.
Messi then played in Japan just days later, enraging Chinese fans and leading to China cancelling two Argentina friendlies.
The Barcelona legend has since released a video in an attempt to clarify his situation, but the story rumbles on, and he will have to fully focus on football now.
Messi was an instant hit in the USA last season and will look to get Inter Miami off to the perfect start here.
Messi already had former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets with him, and they have been joined by Luis Suarez.
The former Liverpool striker formed one part of that deadly Barcelona attack with Neymar and Messi.
The duo have played 258 games together and directly contributed to 99 goals with each other in that time, so despite both being quite old, there could be some ridiculous link-up play when these two get going.
For many years, Suarez was one of the world's best strikers and enjoyed huge success at the Camp Nou.
He and Messi became close friends, so it was no surprise to see him join the Argentine superstar at Inter Miami.
Certainly, we can't wait to see these two combine once more.
The big news is that the hosts expect Messi to be fit after missing a couple of pre-season games.
Suarez will likely make his MLS debut, meaning we should see those two play together again.
Alba and Busquets are also anticipated to be involved.
But Benjamin Cremaschi and Facundo Farias are injured.
Real Salt Lake are likely to hand a debut to Englishman Matt Crooks, who recently
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