Lionel Messi will be absent from Inter Miami's upcoming match against Atlanta United this Saturday, as confirmed by a club source, due to his current state of fatigue. The highly anticipated Major League Soccer clash set to unfold at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was poised to draw a crowd exceeding 70,000 spectators.
Messi had notably opted to sit out Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz, choosing to support his teammates from the sidelines. While he did participate in the final minutes of their recent 1-0 victory over Ecuador, where he scored the decisive goal, there have been no indications of any injury concerns.
Leading up to the international break, Messi had been heavily involved, featuring in 11 matches for Miami within a span of just 44 days. When asked about Messi's potential participation in the forthcoming game, Miami coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino commented, "He is in good condition... We will exercise the utmost caution with Leo going forward, considering the tight schedule with many important matches. We are keen on preventing any injuries to Leo or any other player."
It's worth noting that Atalanta plays on an artificial surface, but Messi has previously expressed that such fields do not pose a problem for him. The club source further affirmed that this was not a determining factor in the decision to rest him.
As Miami strives to climb from their previous position at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, they face another challenging fixture on Wednesday, hosting Toronto FC.
