Inter Miami will play the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 this Thursday night against Cavalier in Jamaica, and all eyes are on Lionel Messi.
A week ago, Inter Miami took a crucial step toward the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup with a 2-0 victory over Cavalier in the first leg at Chase Stadium. Now, the Herons will face a decisive match in Jamaica, looking to protect the advantage gained on home soil. All attention is focused on Lionel Messi and his potential involvement in the team.
After a three-match absence due to a muscle strain, Messi has traveled with his teammates to Kingston for Thursday’s match, and it is confirmed that he will be considered for selection. What remains uncertain is whether he will be included in the starting lineup or if he will begin the match on the bench.
At a pre-match press conference in Miami on Wednesday, head coach Javier Mascherano addressed Messi’s situation. “Leo is in the call-up,” he confirmed. He went on to discuss the forward’s performance during Wednesday’s training session: “He trained with the group and participated in the full session. The sensations were very good, and we are happy that he will travel with us to Jamaica.”
However, Mascherano was cautious when discussing Messi’s potential role against Cavalier. “We will decide on match day what is best: whether he starts or waits to come in later. We’ll see,” the coach explained, indicating that the final decision would be made right before the match.
In the absence of Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano has typically opted to replace him with a midfielder rather than a forward with similar characteristics, in an effort to strengthen the midfield.
Benjamin Cremaschi was selected to fill Messi’s spot in the last three games. The 20-year-old midfielder joined the likes of Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia, and, depending on the match, Federico Redondo or Yannick Bright.
With this in mind, Inter Miami’s probable lineup for Thursday’s match against Cavalier is as follows: Oscar Ustari; Gonzalo Lujan, Tomas Aviles, Maximiliano Falcon, Jordi Alba; Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi or Benjamin Cremaschi, Luis Suarez, Tadeo Allende.
Inter Miami and Cavalier are battling for one of the final spots in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. So far, six teams have already secured their places in the quarterfinals, with two matchups confirmed: the Los Angeles Galaxy will face Tigres UANL from Mexico, while Cruz Azul will take on Club America.
Additionally, Vancouver Whitecaps are awaiting the winner of Thursday’s match between Pumas UNAM of Mexico and Alajuelense of Costa Rica. Pumas currently hold a two-goal advantage after their first-leg victory. Finally, Los Angeles FC will meet the winner of the match between Inter Miami and Cavalier. All quarterfinal matchups are scheduled to be played between April 1 and 10.
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