Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino has acknowledged that Luis Suárez constantly suffers from an inflamed knee and has to work through pain "week-by-week" to be able to feature for the Herons throughout the campaign.
Suárez didn't play in the MLS All Star match as the team claimed he was unable to travel due to his inflamed knee. Martino later noted his participation in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup opener against Puebla at Chase Stadium on Saturday night would be a last-minute decision, before the Uruguay legend played for 85 minutes in the 2-0 triumph .
"Well, [I substituted him in the 85th minute] because this situation where your knee can become inflamed is not something that has only just occurred," Martino said in his post-match news conference.
"Maybe there were other instances you didn't even know about it. Now we had to say it publicly because he did not go to the All-Star Game, but it is a knee that he works on permanently, week by week.
"There are days that are better, there are weeks that are not."
During his time with Brazilian side Gremio, Suárez revealed he suffered from osteoarthritis in his right knee and considered retirement due to the injury .
"I can feel pain, my body is speaking for me. I want to enjoy and then decide for myself after a long career. I need to rest, enjoy my family ... then destiny will know where I'll be in the future," Suárez said in December.
Despite the ongoing knee issues, Suárez has been an integral part of Inter Miami's recent success. He has recorded 12 goals and five assists during the Major League Soccer regular season, propelling the Herons to first place on the Eastern Conference table.
He also marked his Leagues Cup debut with a goal against Puebla, helping the reigning champions kick off the 2024 edition in grand fashion.
Though Martino admitted Inter Miami will be looking at Leagues Cup in a different way than the team did in 2023, a trophy remains the priority.
"Our view of this tournament is clearly different from the view we had of this same tournament a year ago. A year ago we were among the last in the league and today we are in first place," Martino said of defending Miami's crown.
"But we don't find reasons, at least today, to be any kind of careful because we came from playing a week ago, we'll play again in a week and well, later we'll see if we have the possibility of advancing and how we're moving within a tournament that is actually very demanding and exhausting. It is clear that our view, at least this year, is totally different."
Inter Miami continue their Leagues Cup campaign against Tigres on Saturday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
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