Miami says Messi injury ‘minor,’ no return date set

Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi suffered a “minor” muscle injury in his right leg on Saturday night in the Leagues Cup match against Necaxa at Chase Stadium.

The timeline for his return remains undetermined and will depend on the response to treatment, according to the club.

“Messi underwent medical tests to evaluate the extent of the muscle discomfort he experienced during last night’s Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, which forced him to leave the field,” said Inter Miami in a press release.”The results confirmed a minor muscle injury in his right leg. His medical clearance will depend on his clinical progress and response to treatment.”

Messi felt the strain early in the match on Saturday after coming into contact with Necaxa’s Raul Sanchez and Alexis Peña when dribbling into the box. During the play, Messi stumbled onto the ground and slammed the pitch in frustration, before seeking medical attention a couple minutes later.He officially left the pitch in the 11th minute and headed directly into the locker room.

Following the game, head coach Javier Mascherano mentioned the injury may not be that serious because he wasn’t in pain, but rather felt discomfort.Inter Miami came back to draw 2-2 with Necaxa in the final minutes of the game with a goal from Jordi Alba before triumphing 5-4 in penalties to win the additional point.