Latest injury update on Messi ahead of Inter Miami road game at D.C. United on Saturday

Lionel Messi was ruled out of the Inter Miami game at D.C. United Saturday due to a slight injury in his right hamstring, according to a club statement late Friday afternoon.

Messi exited the Champions Cup victory against Nashville Wednesday early in the second half “due to discomfort suffered on his right leg during the match; following a subsequent medical assessment, it has been determined that the captain has suffered a slight injury in his right hamstring and is expected to miss the away match on March 16 at D.C. United.”

His availability after this match will be determined on daily medical assessments and the development of his recovery in the coming days, per the club.

His teammates will have to prove they can win without him, something they have had trouble doing. Inter Miami is winless over the past seven games it played without Messi, dating to last season. The team had three losses and four ties during that stretch and was outscored 18-10. The last time Miami won an official game without Messi was Sept. 9, 2023, a 3-2 victory over Kansas City.

It will be the second MLS game in a row Messi misses. He was rested for Sunday’s match against Montreal after being listed as questionable with a shin injury. He played every minute of the first three league matches, and all 90 minutes in the first leg of the Champions Cup series with Nashville.

He is Miami’s leading scorer with five goals and two assists over five games. His former Barcelona teammate and good friend Luis Suarez, who joined Inter Miami this season, has four goals and five assists over six games.

Messi, who turns 37 in June, is being cautious with his health as he navigates a busy season that began with preseason games in El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Japan.

The MLS regular season has 34 games and runs through Oct. 19, followed by playoffs that culminate with the MLS Cup on Dec. 7. Miami just advanced to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup, which includes a home leg April 3 and away leg April 10 against Monterrey in Mexico.

Inter Miami will try to defend its Leagues Cup title over the summer.

Messi also takes his national team duties seriously and treasures each game in the Argentina shirt as he likely has only a few years left in his career. He is scheduled to join his World Cup champion team during the FIFA international break next week for Copa America warmup matches against El Salvador on March 22 in Philadelphia and Costa Rica on March 26 in Los Angeles.

FIFA designates five windows in the calendar each year to allow players to leave their club teams to play for their national teams. Most leagues around the world pause during those windows. MLS sometimes does not, so national team players such as Messi may miss club games.

Even if he recovers from the hamstring strain, Messi will likely miss the March 24 game on the road against the New York Red Bulls and a few games during Copa Amerca.

Argentina is the defending Copa America champion, and the 2024 tournament is being held in the United States, which is among the reasons a move to the United States was appealing to Messi. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens will host group stage matches between Uruguay and Panama June 23, Argentina and Peru on June 29 as well as the tournament final on July 14.

The highly anticipated 16-team tournament, an expanded version of the prestigious South American championship, kicks off in Atlanta on June 20.

Copa America is a quadrennial tournament that features all 10 national teams from South America: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. It is typically held in South America, but in 2024, it is being held in the United States as part of a strategic partnership between CONMEBOL, the South American soccer federation, and CONCACAF, the Miami-based regional federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Six teams from CONCACAF will be included in the field, including the United States and Mexico.

In the meantime, Inter Miami is focusing on beating D.C. United on Saturday.

D.C., under new coach Troy Lesesne, won its season opener 3-1 over New England with a hat trick by Christian Benteke, who suffered a thigh injury and missed the next two games. Both ended in ties, 2-2 with Portland and 0-0 with Cincinnati. Benteke was back in training this week and expected to make his return against Miami.

“The game Saturday is important to us, and we will go with our best available roster,” Inter Miami coach Javi Morales said Friday morning. “When we play every three days, we have to see how everyone feels, but if they are fine, they should play. D.C. has a new coach and is playing a new style.”

Morales said it is impossible to replace Messi, but the team has gotten used to having to play without him and teammates must adapt.

Although the team is already fielding questions about Monterrey ahead of the Champions Cup quarterfinals, center back Tomas “Toto” Aviles said players are focused on D.C.

“We can’t put the MLS race aside, these points at the beginning of the season is very important for the end of the year,” Aviles said. “With Leo, or without Leo, we have to carry on the same way.”

How to Watch: Inter Miami vs. D.C. United is at 2 p.m. Saturday at Audi Field and will be shown for free on AppleTV.