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MLS icon Sacha Kljestan believes Inter Miami have enough depth to win the 2024 Leagues Cup despite the absence of injured Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently sidelined by a ligament injury and is likely to miss the entire competition this summer.
Messi guided the Herons to Leagues Cup glory last summer shortly after joining the club in July 2023. He scored 10 goals and provided one assist in seven appearances to lift his first trophy in the United States.
Unfortunately, Messi suffered a ligament injury to his ankle during Argentina's 1-0 win against Colombia in the 2024 Copa America final (July 15). According to Tata Martino, the 36-year-old is slowly recovering in the gym, but is yet to train with the squad and is expected to return to the pitch in September.
Despite being without their talisman, Kljestan reckons the Herons are good enough to retain their title. He told MLS' official website (via Inter Miami News):
“The reigning Leagues Cup champs have the roster to go back-to-back in this competition. Even with Lionel Messi out injured, Miami have the deepest roster among the MLS teams."
He added:
“Look for veterans Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez to lead the way. But the supporting cast can also make waves, including Diego Gomez as he returns from the Olympics. Miami have proven they can win in knockout tournaments and have quality to go the distance.”
Injuries have hindered Lionel Messi's 2024 campaign. In addition to his ankle injury - which has kept him out of five games to date, the Argentine ace has missed a total of 12 games across all competitions due to other muscular issues.
Inter Miami defeat Toronto 4-3 to progress to Leagues Cup Round of 16 in Lionel Messi's absence
Inter Miami showed exceptional character and resilience to defeat a spirited Toronto 4-3 in their Leagues Cup Round of 32 showdown. The two sides faced each other at the Chase Stadium on Thursday, August 8.
Former Barcelona star Jordi Alba had a brilliant game, recording a career-high four assists during the game. He assisted Matias Rojas in the third minute before setting up Diego Gomez eight minutes later. Lorenzo Insigne halved the deficit with a 15th-minute penalty but Luis Suarez made it 3-1 in the 20th minute with a wonderful chip.
Insigne netted another penalty in the 41st minute to get Toronto back into the game. Fortunately, Rojas completed his brace in the 59th minute with a curling effort to restore Inter Miami's two-goal advantage. Noah Allen's 79th-minute own-goal gave Toronto hope but the Herons held on to win 4-3.
Inter Miami will next face the winner of Colombus Crew and Sporting Kansas City in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 on August 12.
