'Ring his doorbell' - Tata Martino offers cryptic update on Jordi Alba's fitness as Inter Miami and Lionel Messi prepare for CONCACAF Champions Cup clash with Nashville

The Herons will be in continental CONCACAF competition on Thursday when taking on domestic MLS rivals. Martino is giving little away when it comes to selection plans for that contest, with it yet to be revealed whether the likes of Alba, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets will be taking to the field.

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Veteran left-back Alba has been struggling with illness of late, but Martino said when asked for an update on the former Barcelona defender and whether he has travelled with the rest of Miami's squad: “Jordi is dealing with a strong flu, we will evaluate him to see if he's fit to play. They'll have to ring his doorbell at home to see if he's here. It's always important for the opponent to discover who they're facing when they see the squad list.”

Inter Miami are being tipped by many to compete for major honours on multiple fronts this season, but Martino refuses to accept that they are favourites to land the Champions Cup crown. The Argentine added: “We have the same obligations as Philadelphia, Pachuca, America, Monterrey, Tigres, Cincinnati. The only way we become favourites is based on what we do on the field. I don't acknowledge favouritism before the ball moves. We don't claim favouritism at the expense of other institutions.”

Martino’s side have made an unbeaten start to the 2024 campaign, with seven points collected from three MLS fixtures so far – with the likes of Messi and Suarez already among the goals as questions are asked of whether their ageing limbs can handle the demands of four competitions.