Inter Miami boss Tata Martino unsure on Lionel Messi's injury return

Tata Martino has declined to offer an injury return update on Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

Messi has not featured for Inter Miami since the start of June after joining up with the Argentina camp at the 2024 Copa America.

The veteran forward captained Argentina to a title defence in his adopted city but he was forced off in their 1-0 final win over Colombia due to an ankle injury.

Messi was visibly upset as he sat on the sidelines and watched his teammates secure the title.

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The former Barcelona superstar has been undergoing a period of rehabilitation with the Inter Miami medical team since his return  but Martino admitted he is not yet ready to return.

"Leo is getting better every day. He's still training in the gym (not the field]) but he's getting better with each session and doing well in the timeframe we had considered", as per quotes from ESPN .

Inter Miami secured a spot in the 2024 Leagues Cup Round of 16, as part of a title defence from 2023, after sealing a 4-3 win over Toronto.

Their next game is scheduled for August 12, with Messi almost certain to miss out, but Martino is hopeful the 37-year-old will be able to play a role in the competition if they progress into the final four.