Miami coach says striker won\u2019t be rushed back after missing 5-2 mauling by Atlanta
\nMIAMI
\nLionel Messi is suffering from \u201cmuscle fatigue\u201d and will not be rushed back, Inter Miami coach Gerardo \u2018Tata\u2019 Martino said on Saturday after his team\u2019s playoff hopes suffered a blow with a 5-2 thrashing at Atlanta United.
\nMessi and his former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba both sat out the game with Martino saying it would have been \u201cvery reckless\u201d for the Argentine to play in Atlanta.
\nMartino said that his focus was on having his team ready for the September 27th final of the US Open Cup when Miami host Houston as they look for their second trophy of the season.
\n\u201cThey will train tomorrow (Sunday) and we will see day by day. Nothing changes our outlook on how he (Messi) will train. We have no urgency,\u201d said the former Barcelona and Argentina coach.
\nMiami face Toronto, the only team below them in the Eastern Conference, at home in MLS action on Wednesday.
\n\u201cIf he is well and confident he can get to play and if this doesn\u2019t happen he will wait a few more days,\u201d Martino said.
\nMiami\u2019s loss was their first in 12 games in all competitions since Messi and Spanish pair Alba and Sergio Busquets joined the team in July.
\nThe defeat makes it tougher for Miami to climb into the top nine in the East which would ensure qualification for the playoffs.
\n\u201cThis defeat hurts us and reduces our chances but it is not decisive,\u201d said Martino, who said the US Open Cup remains a priority.
\n\u201cThe final is one game. It\u2019s very tempting to go for a title,\u201d Martino said.
\n\u201cWe started the (playoff) race very far back, we are not going to abandon it but our sights are set on the (Cup final on the) 27th,\u201d he said.
\nThe 36-year-old Messi had also sat out Argentina\u2019s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz on Tuesday but he travelled and watched his team-mates from the bench.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Miami coach says striker won\u2019t be rushed back after missing 5-2 mauling by Atlanta MIAMI Lionel Messi is suffering from \u201cmuscle fatigue\u201d and will not be rushed back, Inter Miami coach Gerardo \u2018Tata\u2019 Martino said on Saturday after his team\u2019s playoff hopes suffered a blow with a 5-2 thrashing at Atlanta United. Messi and his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-356637","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n