Lionel Messi practices in full, nearing Inter Miami return

Lionel Messi’s absence from Inter Miami’s lineup could also be coming to an finish.

The Argentine World Cup winner, who has missed Miami’s final 4 video games with a leg damage, returned to full observe on Thursday and Friday forward of Saturday’s MLS recreation at dwelling to FC Cincinnati.

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“You have to evaluate him … He trained [Thursday] and will train [Friday]. But every day it gets better.” Miami assistant coach Javier Morales advised reporters in Spanish earlier than Friday’s observe.

The membership hinted at a constructive consequence later in the day, utilizing social media to put up “Nos vemos mañana” — translation, “see you tomorrow” with a photograph of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.

The group didn’t elaborate a few doable return to the lineup for Messi.

The 36-year-old Messi has missed 5 of Inter Miami’s final six matches, plus one other for Argentina in that span after aggravating a scar tissue damage in his leg. He has not performed since making a 37-minute look towards Toronto FC on Sept. 20, when the leg problem pressured him out earlier than halftime.

If he performs, it might conceivably be Messi’s last dwelling look — or last look, interval — of the season for Inter Miami, the group he joined in July after agreeing to a 2 1/2-year contract that may pay him someplace round $150 million.

The group is dealing with a severely uphill climb in a bid to make the MLS playoffs; it has three video games remaining and is 5 factors behind CF Montréal for the ninth and last postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.

After Saturday, Inter Miami could have two video games left — each towards Charlotte FC, one at dwelling Oct. 18 and the opposite on the street Oct. 21.

But Messi’s availability for the Oct. 18 recreation would appear to be in critical doubt contemplating he has been referred to as up by Argentina for World Cup qualifying matches towards Paraguay on Oct. 12 and Peru on Oct. 17. And if Inter Miami is eradicated from playoff rivalry by that time, it additionally raises the query of whether or not the group would play Messi at Charlotte in a meaningless finale.

Messi has 11 targets in 12 matches with Inter Miami this season. The group is 8-0-4 when he performs — seven of these matches had been on the group’s run to win its first-ever trophy by claiming the Leagues Cup championship — and 1-3-2 in its six matches with out Messi since he joined the membership.

Since his signing, Inter Miami has outscored opponents 29-12 when Messi is on the sphere, and has been outscored 15-14 when he’s not.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.