Head coach Gerardo Martino hammered home that message after the Herons fell 2-1 to Houston Dynamo FC. Neither their iconic No. 10 nor fellow summer blockbuster signing Jordi Alba were in the club’s matchday squad at DRV PNK Stadium due to lingering muscle injuries.
“It wasn’t prudent for him to play, that much is clear,” Tata explained to reporters post-match. “Not even to consider him for some minutes, because it was a risk.”
The possible silver lining in all of this is Messi should be available for the Herons as they begin their final push for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. Currently five points below the ninth-and-final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, Miami have five remaining games to make up the gap.
“Yes, he’ll likely play before the league ends,” Martino said, without providing a clear timetable for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. “…We’ll go game-by-game, defining the situation to see in what moment the medical staff tells us he’s in conditions to play without risking it.”