Messi to return to action for Inter Miami this weekend? Martino reveals details

Age seems to be catching up to Lionel Messi and the Argentina captain recently turned 37-years-old in June. Messi has been out of action since Argentina’s victorious Copa America 2024 final against Colombia in July, where he left in pain during the second-half and had to leave the field, with both teams level at 0-0.
Messi was seen in tears in the dugout after departing the field. Later, Lautaro Martinez scored a late winner in extra-time for a 1-0 victory. Messi suffered a ligament injury on his ankle in that match and has been ruled out of action since then. He hasn’t been named in the matchday squads for Inter Miami and was also left out of the squad for Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers vs Chile and Colombia in September.
Speaking to the media, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino gave a key update on his star player’s return. He said, “He is not training with the group. But yes, he is already out on the field and working with the physical trainers.”
“He is developing well, it was foreseeable that he would not be with Argentina because he is not yet in a position to play, but we continue to see him develop. There is no estimate, because you are already starting to see how you feel as you add training on the field.”
Revealing that he will be back before the regular season ends, he said, “The work is planned by the medical part with the physical trainers. But yes, he returns before the end of the regular season.”
“I wouldn’t be able to give an approximate number of days that he returns to training but it is not a situation that is too far away. There is a part of the injuries that have to do with the physical and there is a part of the injuries that has to do with the mental, so we have to overcome them both ways and I think that he is going through that process.
“He is feeling better and better, he has been working in the field for three or four days now. We cannot give time because we do not know and it would be speculating about something that may not be possible to do, but it is close.”
Miami are currently in pole position in the Eastern Conference table with 53 points in 25 matches and are expected to bag a playoff spot when they face Cincinnati in the weekend. Even if they lose, other results could propel them to the playoffs.