Lionel Messi's Inter Miami dealt brutal injury blow as star midfielder Federico Redondo suffers LCL injury

After arriving shortly after the start of the MLS season, the son of Real Madrid legend Fernando Redondo signed with the Herons on a multi-year deal that saw them send a fee of $8 million to Argentinos Juniors.

He made four appearances across all competitions for the Herons before joining the the Albiceleste U-23's for the March international break, but upon his return he suffered the problem. In a release, Miami said: "Redondo has suffered an injury to his left lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks."

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A silky midfielder on the ball, Redondo was ironically labelled a Sergio Busquets regen before his arrival at South Beach, where he's now teammates with the Spanish legend.

The 21-year-old's injury, which could see him sidelined for two months, will force the ex-Barcelona great to step up even more. However, the timing of Redondo's absence aligns with the return of another star off the injury table, with USMNT prospect Benjamin Cremaschi returning to first-team training this past week. Regardless, Redondo's absence will be felt, and it's now up to Busquets to occupy the defensive midfielder role for the Herons until his return.

Redondo's father, Fernando, made 165 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos in Spain, scoring four goals.

The Herons host NYCFC this weekend in Eastern Conference action, and with both Redondo and Lionel Messi sidelined, Inter Miami will be without two of their biggest stars. However, a new arrival at the South Beach club this week in defender Marcelo Weigandt could spark them to life at the weekend.