According to coach Javier Mascherano, Messi needs to be protected and always be in the best shape before the 2025 MLS season. At the same time, Inter Miami announced the recruitment of the new star they have been wanting all this time.
Messi is completely healthy, but the coach still does not dare to take risks
Coach Javier Mascherano, who is also a close friend of Messi, said: “Inter Miami are about to enter pre-season training matches. We will consider how many minutes Messi plays in each match is appropriate. We do not want to take risks. Remember, this is a season in which we will compete on many fronts, including the FIFA Club World Cup in mid-June.”
Inter Miami will face Club America in Las Vegas on January 19, followed by a tour of Peru, Panama and Honduras, before returning to Florida to face Orlando City SC.
In these matches, the attraction of fans and the demand for Messi’s presence are extremely large. Therefore, coach Javier Mascherano needs to speak up soon to protect his close friend, avoiding incidents like the case of Inter Miami’s tour of Asia before the 2024 season and Messi not playing a few matches, causing the fans here to react.
“Messi finished the 2024 season, winning the MLS Player of the Year award, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists in 25 matches. But the star player also missed 23 matches due to injury, physical effects or returning to play for the national team. This is too much, so Inter Miami does not want to repeat this in the 2025 season. Among them, the factor that affected Messi was the long and prolonged pre-season tour,” AS (Spain) assessed.
“Certainly, this year’s tour will be much different from last year’s. We don’t want to repeat the same mistakes. Ensuring the health of the players is the top priority. We need a Messi who is always healthy and injury-free,” said billionaire Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami with former player David Beckham.
Before the first training match of the season, Inter Miami announced the successful recruitment of 25-year-old Argentine striker Tadeo Allende from the Spanish La Liga club Celta Vigo. This is a player that Inter Miami has wanted for many months, after appointing coach Javier Mascherano and planning to strengthen the attack, after letting player Diego Gomez move to Brighton in the English Premier League.
Tadeo Allende is just Inter Miami’s second pre-season signing, following veteran striker Fafa Picault joining from Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The team, chaired by David Beckham, is currently active in the transfer market to add positions such as goalkeeper, centre-back and attack, with the expectation that star Neymar will join before the winter transfer window closes in early February.
