05/25/26 05:32:00
Printable Page
05/25 17:30 CDT Inter Miami says Lionel Messi has 'an overload' associated with
fatigue in left hamstring
Inter Miami says Lionel Messi has 'an overload' associated with fatigue in left
hamstring
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP) --- Inter Miami confirmed Monday that Lionel Messi has a left
hamstring issue, one that has popped up about a week before defending World Cup
champion Argentina is set to begin its training camp for this summer's title
defense.
And the events of Sunday and Monday surely add at least a bit of intrigue to
Argentina's plans.
Messi underwent testing on Monday --- which almost certainly means an MRI exam,
though the team did not divulge what procedures were involved --- and was
ultimately diagnosed with "an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his
left hamstring" that kept him from finishing Inter Miami's match on Sunday
night.
Typically, the timeframe for recovery from such issues is varied depending on
the severity.
"The timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical
and functional progress," Inter Miami said in a release.
Messi was subbed out of Inter Miami's match against the Philadelphia Union in
the 73rd minute on Sunday. He essentially stopped playing a couple of minutes
earlier and was seen grabbing at the back of his left leg at least once before
he could be removed for a sub.
Messi walked off the field without any assistance and went directly to the
team's locker room. Inter Miami, the defending MLS champion, won the game 6-4
and Messi had a pair of assists in the first half.
Heavy rain fell during the second half, leaving the field slippery. It was
unknown if Messi took a misstep at any point during the storm or if the
conditions were involved in the decision for him to leave the match. All the
team said Monday was he was subbed out because of "physical discomfort."
Argentina has a pair of friendlies scheduled in advance of the World Cup, first
on June 6 in College Station, Texas, against Honduras and then on June 9 in
Auburn, Alabama, against Iceland. Those games will be played in college
football stadiums --- the home fields of Texas A&M and Auburn --- with a
combined capacity of about 180,000.
Argentina is in Group J for the World Cup. Its group stage matches: Algeria, at
Kansas City, on June 16; Austria, at Arlington, Texas, on June 22; and Jordan,
back in Arlington, on June 27.
Messi has already appeared in five World Cups, winning the Golden Ball as the
tournament's best player twice --- first in 2014, then again in 2022 when he
led Argentina to the title. That award has been given out only since 1982, but
he is the lone player to win it twice.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
|
