Lionel Messi has had a busy time since arriving at Inter Miami. Since making his debut against Cruz Azul last month, Messi has played eight matches for Inter Miami. Out of the eight games, three of them went to extra time and were decided by a penalty shoot-out. Therefore, as Lionel Messi’s expected MLS debut draws closer, there are reports of him being partially rested for the clash.
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino has hinted at the possibility of Lionel Messi being rested against the New York Red Bulls. Martino said, “We will assess further after this evening’s training. It is inevitable that we will not have him at some point.” With Inter Miami’s woeful position in the MLS table, David Beckham‘s club needs to win nine out of their remaining twelve league matches to reach the playoffs.
Load management? Messi walks around most of the game! https://t.co/eqmMBm3r6u
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) August 24, 2023
Therefore, Gerardo Martino needs to be smart with his management of players, especially Lionel Messi. However, ex-USMNT star Alexi Lalas has claimed that the Argentine talisman does not need any rest. Lalas has accused Messi of spending most of the time walking on the pitch. He tweeted, “Load management? Messi walks around most of the game!“
Although Alexi Lalas’ words are partially correct since Messi is known for conserving his energy on the pitch by doing minimal running. However, the Inter Miami star has racked up 13 goal contributions in just 8 matches for his new club by simply “walking around.” Although Messi’s potential exclusion from Inter Miami’s MLS clash will be a huge disappointment for the NY Red Bull fans.
Lionel Messi hangs out with Novak Djokovic ahead of his potential MLS debut
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was recently seen hanging out with Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic. Following Inter Miami’s tough victory against FC Cincinnati in the US Open Cup semifinals, Messi and Inter Miami CEO Jorge Mas hung out with Djokovic. Jorge Mas also shared a picture with the two legends on Twitter with the caption, “What a night,” followed by two goat emoticons.
Novak Djokovic, who is a big fan of Lionel Messi, shared a picture of himself alongside the former PSG star. He also added a caption that read, “Crack! Great pleasure to see you and talk to you. As always, I wish good luck and health to you and your family.” The 36-year-old tennis legend recently won his 39th ATP Masters 1000 title in the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.