Messi to start against Newell's, says Tata Martino
Inter Miami coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino ruled out on Wednesday that Lionel Messi has suffered a serious injury this pre-season and confirmed that the Argentine star will start Thursday's friendly against Newell's.
"Leo had an adductor inflammation in the first game with the Arab team. He didn't have an injury that warranted a stoppage or any special treatment. We were taking it day by day," he told a news conference.
"That's why he played 10 minutes in the second game, that's why he couldn't play in Hong Kong, that's why he played a bit longer in Japan. He will surely get more minutes and if everything continues like this he will arrive very well at the start of the championship, which is what we want," he added.
After a long pre-season tour with many setbacks and injuries, Inter Miami, who will open the new MLS season next Wednesday against Real Salt Lake, will close their pre-season on Thursday with a friendly against Newell's Old Boys at DRV PNK Stadium, starting at 19:30 (00:30 GMT on Friday).
This match will be particularly special for Martino, an icon of Newell's Old Boys as a coach and as a player, and for Messi, who as a boy played for that Rosario team before moving to Barcelona.
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