Lionel Messi has received medical clearance to resume playing after a two-month recovery period from an ankle injury. Inter Miami has hinted that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will make his comeback in the upcoming match on Saturday against Philadelphia.
Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino mentioned on Friday that Messi is ready to play, although he did not confirm whether Messi would start the game, come in as a substitute, or have any limitations on his playing time.
Messi’s return comes as a welcome boost to Inter Miami, which boasts the best record in Major League Soccer even with the star player missing several games. Despite being absent for nine consecutive MLS matches and a total of 15 games this season, the team has secured a playoff spot.
The last time Messi played for Inter Miami was on June 1 before sustaining the ankle injury while competing for Argentina in the Copa America final on July 14. He rejoined group training with the team towards the end of last month, taking advantage of the break due to ongoing World Cup qualifiers, granting him extra time to recover and get back into match fitness.
In the 12 MLS games he has played this season, Messi has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists. Despite sitting out a significant portion of Inter Miami’s matches, his 13 assists rank third-highest in the league, and he is tied for 13th place in terms of goals scored.
