'He’s not ruled out, but I don’t know if he’ll play' - Javier Mascherano unsure if Lionel Messi will play against Tigres in Leagues Cup after missing Inter Miami's full training

Lionel Messi sat out Inter Miami's full training session, raising doubts about his availability for Wednesday’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Tigres. Manager Javier Mascherano acknowledged the eight-time Ballon D'Or winner is navigating through discomfort, but didn't rule out the Argentine star. 

“Leo didn’t train with the group; he trained separately. It’s similar to what I mentioned the other day - he felt discomfort during the 45 minutes he played," Mascherano said. "He’s not ruled out, but I don’t know if he’ll play because it depends a lot on how he feels." 

Messi just returned from injury last weekend, coming off the bench to spark Inter Miami to win over the LA Galaxy. The 38-year-old recently suffered what was described as a minor muscle issue in the club's Leagues Cup opener against Necaxa. Against LA, he suffered more discomfort towards the end of the contest, a match which saw him play 45 minutes. Messi has been dominant throughout his time in MLS, scoring 40 goals and 26 assists in 44 appearances for Miami, but injuries have been the one thing that has slowed him down. He has yet to play more than 20 league games in a season for The Herons. 

With or without Messi, Mascherano stressed the importance of sticking to his team’s tactical plan against Tigres - a side many expect to win the Leagues Cup. 

“We have to defend well. My lineup won’t change much from what we’ve been doing," he said. "The goal is to neutralize Tigres, be protagonists, and if we manage to control the game, we can beat them.”

The Miami boss knows Tigres will be a dangerous opponent. The Mexican side has been one of the most lethal attacks in Liga MX, scoring 13 goals in just four Apertura 2025 matches.

“If you give them the ball and the initiative, they’ll make it tough for you. We need to control the tempo and take the ball away from them. If we don’t, they’ll punish us - they’re built to attack," Mascherano explained. "We believe that if we control possession, we’ll have our chances." 

Inter Miami will host Tigres this Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals at Chase Stadium. Afterwards, they will return to MLS action on Saturday with a visit to D.C. United.