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Journalist Gastón Edul has provided a new update on Lionel Messi's fitness ahead of Inter Miami's clash against Philadelphia on September 14 at Chase Stadium. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner suffered an injury in Argentina's 2024 Copa America final against Colombia.
Messi had to leave the pitch in the 66th minute with a right ankle injury. The Argentine captain was hurt in the same spot during a strong challenge in the first half. He was seen in tears on the bench with his right ankle severely swollen.
Although the match ended in a 1-0 win with Messi lifting his second Copa América trophy, the 37-year-old forward has not returned to the pitch since and has been rehabilitating for the last two months.
With the world waiting for Leo Messi's return, Gastón Edul reported that the Argentine icon has been back at training for Inter Miami despite having a flu-like illness. The journalist also mentioned there has been no setback with his ankle recovery and is expected to appear in one of the Herons' upcoming two fixtures.
Along with his absence in the Major League Soccer matches, Messi also missed two of Argentina's 2026 World Cup Qualifier clashes against Chile and Colombia respectively. La Albiceleste bagged a win in both matches.
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate provides an update on his fitness
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate, Julian Gressel, shared a fitness update on the Argentine star during the recent international break. The USMNT full-back mentioned how the Herons' last Major League Soccer fixture against Chicago Fire on August 31 would have been too early for Messi's return to the pitch.
Speaking on the Player/Manager podcast, Gressel spoke about Messi's form in recent training sessions and said (via GOAL):
"He’s not really limping anymore. He’s been part of team training, but I think it was a little bit too early, that Chicago game for him. I think he ultimately made the decision to just give it another couple of weeks because now we have the international break and he’s with the national team.
"I expect him to be part of the team in this next game. I think it’s something that is realistic where we’ll have two weeks of full training. At times, he’s still a little bit limited, obviously, but I think that they’re being cautious with him and seeing how he feels on a daily basis. It’s still somewhat day-to-day."
Inter Miami has been on an impressive run in MLS, winning most of their recent fixtures. They are currently on top of the league table with 59 points in 27 matches.
Speaking about Lionel Messi's impact on the squad and how anticipated his return to the pitch is, Julian Gressel said:
"But he’s definitely been in team training, he’s been part of the group more on the field, and it’s nice. It’s nice to see him back out there because it’s Leo Messi. If you can add a guy like that after what we’ve done over the past two months, it’s certainly going to be an interesting kind of finish to the end here."
Lionel Messi won the Leagues Cup last season with Inter Miami while also receiving his eighth Ballon d'Or and second Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.
