Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-02 12:13:33
Despite carrying a hamstring injury, coach Gerardo Martino assured fans that Lionel Messi should still be able to play in Inter Miami’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. The Argentina star played only a few minutes in the team’s recent friendly defeat to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, due to his injury. Martino mentioned that he will assess Messi’s fitness during Saturday’s training session before making a decision on whether Messi will start in the match against a Hong Kong XI the following day.
Inter Miami had a series of intense games in Saudi Arabia this week, and their upcoming match in Hong Kong sold out in minutes. The team also lost to Al Hilal in Riyadh and will have a match against Vissel Kobe in Japan to conclude their pre-season tour. Martino expressed the team’s expectation that Messi will play as much time as possible in the upcoming match at the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium. Fans in Hong Kong have been eagerly awaiting Messi’s participation, evident in the hundreds who gathered outside the team hotel and the high demand for Messi shirts at sports retailers in the city.
Organizers have been warning fans about ticket scams and scalpers as they prepare for the team’s arrival in Hong Kong, where Messi-mania has been in full swing. A traditional junk boat bearing Messi’s face and the colors of Inter Miami welcomed the team, and billboards across the city announced the team’s visit to Asia. Inter Miami, which also includes former Liverpool and Barcelona star Luis Suarez, is scheduled to have an open training session at Hong Kong Stadium on Saturday afternoon, where it is expected that thousands of Messi-shirted supporters will attend.
Martino mentioned that the team will assess each player’s physical condition during training, given the many pre-season games they have been playing. The coach emphasized the team’s aspiration for Messi to play as many minutes as possible in the upcoming match, depending on his performance in training. Martino concluded that Messi is certain to be on the pitch for the match. The new MLS season in the United States is set to begin on February 21st.
