Lionel Messi in action©AFP
Argentine star Lionel Messi was ruled out on Monday by Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino for the defending champions’ League Cup qualifier on Tuesday against defending MLS champion Columbus. Messi remains sidelined after suffering a right ankle injury a month ago in Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Colombia in the Copa América final. Messi has yet to train with his Miami teammates since escaping a walking boot.
The Leagues Cup is a tournament featuring Mexican clubs from MLS and Liga MX, with Messi helping lead Miami to last year’s inaugural title.
The final clash between Columbus Crew, last year’s MLS king, and Miami, the best overall team in this year’s league table, is among the eight games on Monday and Tuesday that will decide the quarterfinal pairings in the Friday and Saturday.
The round of 16 begins on Monday with the Seattle Sounders hosting the Pumas of Mexico. Seattle defeated the Pumas in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League Final.
Other elimination matches on Tuesday include Philadelphia at Cincinnati, Cruz Azul at Mazatlan, Tigres at New York, Toluca at Colorado, Club America at St.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article
This story originally appeared on ndtv.com read the full story