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News, Blog and GuidesLionel Messi and Luis Suárez each played 90 minutes in the win over Real Salt Lake and are expected to start at Dignity Health Sports Park.
William GittinsWillGittUpdate: Feb 25th, 2024 17:34 EST0
MEGAN BRIGGSAFP
Inter Miami play their second game of the 2024 MLS campaign on Sunday, a trip to the West coast to take on LA Galaxy.
The Herons opened with a win on Wednesday evening, seeing off Real Salt Lake thanks to goals from Robert Taylor and Diego Gomez. Head coach Tata Martino had switched to a 4-3-3 formation for the season opener and Miami looked much more stable in possession, with a better balance in attacking areas.
Taylor started on the left of a front three and his dynamism offered crucial contrast to the more stationary, but enduring impactful, Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez. In midfield Gomez and Julian Gressel did the running for Sergio Busquets.
Your starting XI for tonight 🤝8PM ET | 📺 #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV pic.twitter.com/r3MkK5ADp2
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) February 22, 2024
Miami avoided any injuries in the RSL victory and Martino could choose to name an unchanged starting XI. However the Miami boss admitted that the short turnaround between matches might necessitate some changes.
“There would be no reason to change if we didn’t have to take in account that we played three days ago, so we have to be prudent, but there is a chance [to name an unchanged team],” Martino told AS USA.
Will Lionel Messi play against LA Galaxy?
Throughout the Herons’ preseason tour the fitness of Lionel Messi was a constant topic of discussion. The Argentine was a transformative force for the team in 2023 but he picked up a muscular injury late in the MLS season that essentially ended Miami’s hopes of reaching the playoffs.
Over the preseason Messi was repeatedly rested and rarely played a full 90 minutes, a sign that the club are eager to avoid over-working their captain. Speaking on Friday Martino confirmed that the squad had been able to train as planned after the RSL game.
