'I didn’t break any rules' - Inter Miami's Javier Mascherano confirms Lionel Messi will miss DC United match, addresses cellphone incident after red card in Leagues Cup

Lionel Messi will not be part of Inter Miami’s squad for Saturday’s trip to play DC United as he continues to recover from a hamstring issue, head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed Friday.

The injury, sustained against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup, has limited Messi to just 45 minutes of action across Miami’s last four matches. Messi trained separately from his teammates throughout the week and was unavailable for the club’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal win over Tigres on Wednesday.

Mascherano also addressed his suspension after being sent off against Tigres. Cameras showed him communicating on a cellphone from the stands, a moment that sparked debate, with the manager saying "I didn’t break any rules."

With the Herons pushing into the decisive stretch of the 2025 season, the priority is to have their captain fully fit rather than risk aggravating the injury. Despite Messi’s absence, Miami edged Tigres to book a spot in the Leagues Cup semifinals.

Leagues Cup officials confirmed that Mascherano did not violate rules by using his cellphone to talk to his assistant from the stands after being sent off in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup match on Wednesday.

“The truth is the stands at our stadium are very close to the pitch, so I tried to stay as near as possible to help the team,” Mascherano said. “It’s something that has happened many times in football and will continue to happen. I didn’t break any rules - I could’ve been sitting in an owner’s suite instead. The team needed me close. I’ll accept whatever consequences come.”

Miami currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with 45 points and face a key road test in Washington as they look to solidify playoff positioning.